CVE-2021-39026 in Guardium Data Encryption
Summary
by MITRE • 02/18/2022
IBM Guardium Data Encryption (GDE) 5.0.0.2 and 5.0.0.3 could allow a remote attacker to obtain sensitive information, caused by the failure to properly enable HTTP Strict Transport Security. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to obtain sensitive information using man in the middle techniques. IBM X-Force ID: 213964.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/27/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-39026 affects IBM Guardium Data Encryption version 5.0.0.2 and 5.0.0.3, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of encrypted data protection mechanisms. This issue stems from the improper implementation of HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) headers within the web interface of the Guardium system, creating an avenue for sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks that can compromise sensitive data transmission. The vulnerability exists within the application layer of the security infrastructure, specifically targeting the communication protocols that govern how sensitive information flows between clients and the Guardium server.
The technical flaw manifests through the absence of proper HSTS header configuration, which should enforce secure HTTPS connections and prevent downgrade attacks. Without this security mechanism, attackers can intercept communications between authenticated users and the Guardium server, potentially capturing session tokens, administrative credentials, and encrypted data that should remain protected. This weakness directly violates the fundamental security principle of ensuring data confidentiality and integrity during transmission, as outlined in the CWE-319 category for "Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information." The vulnerability enables attackers to perform session hijacking attacks, where they can capture and reuse valid session identifiers to gain unauthorized access to the Guardium administrative interface and potentially compromise the entire encryption infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it fundamentally undermines the trust model that security administrators rely upon when implementing data encryption solutions. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could gain access to sensitive database encryption keys, administrative privileges, and potentially decrypt sensitive data that the Guardium system was specifically designed to protect. The attack vector requires minimal sophistication, as the vulnerability can be exploited through standard man-in-the-middle techniques that leverage the absence of proper HSTS enforcement. This creates a significant risk for organizations that depend on Guardium for database encryption, as the compromise of a single administrative session could provide attackers with extensive access to encrypted data repositories and the ability to manipulate encryption policies.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including the verification and enforcement of HSTS headers across all web interfaces, implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms, and deployment of network monitoring tools to detect potential man-in-the-middle activities. The remediation process should involve updating to patched versions of IBM Guardium where HSTS is properly configured, implementing additional network security controls such as certificate pinning, and conducting comprehensive network audits to identify any other applications or systems that may be vulnerable to similar transport layer security issues. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 for "Phishing" and T1046 for "Network Service Scanning, as attackers could leverage this weakness to establish persistent access to sensitive data encryption systems, potentially leading to broader compromise of database environments and data exfiltration operations. The vulnerability demonstrates how even security-focused applications can contain critical configuration flaws that expose them to well-understood attack patterns, highlighting the importance of proper security hardening and continuous vulnerability assessment in enterprise environments.