CVE-2021-29856 in Tivoli Netcool
Summary
by MITRE • 09/20/2021
IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus_GUI 8.1.0 could allow an authenticated usre to cause a denial of service through the WebGUI Map Creation page. IBM X-Force ID: 205685.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2021
IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus_GUI version 8.1.0 contains a vulnerability that enables authenticated users to trigger a denial of service condition through the WebGUI Map Creation page. This flaw represents a critical security weakness in the web interface component of the network operations management platform. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the map creation functionality, allowing maliciously crafted inputs to disrupt normal system operations. The affected component operates as part of IBM's comprehensive monitoring and management suite, which is widely deployed in enterprise environments for network operations management. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can leverage their authenticated access to submit specially crafted data to the map creation interface, causing the web server or application process to become unresponsive or crash entirely. This type of denial of service attack directly impacts the availability of critical network monitoring capabilities, potentially leaving organizations without visibility into their network infrastructure during attack windows.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper handling of user-supplied data within the WebGUI Map Creation page functionality. When authenticated users submit map creation requests with malformed or excessive input parameters, the underlying application fails to properly validate or sanitize these inputs before processing them. This lack of input sanitization creates opportunities for resource exhaustion or application-level errors that ultimately lead to service disruption. The vulnerability manifests as a failure to properly handle boundary conditions or data structures within the map rendering and creation logic, causing the application to enter an unstable state. From a cybersecurity perspective, this weakness aligns with common software security principles where insufficient input validation leads to various attack vectors including denial of service conditions. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning because it requires only authenticated access, meaning that insiders or compromised accounts could exploit this weakness without requiring additional privileges or complex attack chains.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability extend beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the entire network monitoring infrastructure. Organizations relying on IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus_GUI for critical network operations may experience significant downtime when this vulnerability is exploited, leading to loss of network visibility and delayed incident response capabilities. The denial of service condition affects not just the map creation functionality but can potentially impact other web-based interfaces within the same application domain. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where network monitoring systems are expected to maintain high availability and reliability. The attack vector is relatively straightforward for authenticated users to exploit, making it a significant concern for organizations that do not properly monitor or restrict access to their monitoring interfaces. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability can be categorized under the attack technique of resource exhaustion, which is documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework as a method for achieving persistent denial of service conditions.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability including applying the relevant IBM security patches and updates. The recommended approach involves upgrading to the latest version of IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus_GUI that contains the necessary fixes for this denial of service vulnerability. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional access controls and monitoring mechanisms around the WebGUI Map Creation page to detect and prevent unauthorized exploitation attempts. Security teams should review and validate the authentication controls within the system to ensure that only authorized personnel can access sensitive administrative functions. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation and proper error handling in web applications, aligning with CWE guidelines for secure coding practices. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious patterns of activity around the affected web interface components. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the broader network operations management infrastructure. The attack surface for this vulnerability can be reduced by implementing proper network segmentation and access control policies that limit exposure of the web administration interfaces to unnecessary network traffic.