CVE-2023-33859 in Security QRadar EDR
Summary
by MITRE • 07/10/2024
IBM Security QRadar EDR 3.12 could disclose sensitive information due to an observable login response discrepancy. IBM X-Force ID: 257697.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/31/2024
IBM Security QRadar EDR version 3.12 contains a vulnerability that allows attackers to infer sensitive authentication information through observable differences in login response timing. This weakness stems from the system's inconsistent handling of authentication attempts, where valid and invalid login requests produce measurable timing variations in system responses. The vulnerability specifically affects the authentication mechanism's response behavior, creating a side-channel attack vector that can be exploited to distinguish between legitimate and malicious login attempts.
The technical flaw manifests as a timing discrepancy in the system's authentication response handling, where the server takes different amounts of time to process valid versus invalid credentials. This timing variation occurs because the system does not implement constant-time comparison mechanisms for authentication responses, allowing attackers to measure response delays and determine whether a username exists in the system or whether a password is correct. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-203, which deals with Observable Timing Discrepancy, and represents a classic example of how timing-based side-channel attacks can be leveraged to extract sensitive information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential guessing, as it enables attackers to perform user enumeration attacks and password spraying techniques with significantly higher success rates. An attacker can systematically test usernames and passwords, using the timing variations to confirm successful authentication attempts without actually gaining access to the system. This creates a dangerous scenario where unauthorized parties can map valid user accounts and systematically attempt to compromise passwords, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability affects the core authentication functionality of the QRadar EDR platform, undermining the security posture of organizations relying on this endpoint detection and response solution.
Security professionals should implement several mitigations to address this vulnerability, including implementing constant-time comparison algorithms for authentication responses, adding randomized delays to authentication responses, and deploying additional monitoring for anomalous authentication patterns. Organizations should also consider implementing rate limiting and account lockout mechanisms to prevent automated enumeration attacks. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1110.003, which covers credential stuffing attacks, and T1562.006, which addresses credential access through timing-based side-channel attacks. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to ensure that authentication mechanisms are properly hardened against such timing-based reconnaissance techniques, while also monitoring for potential exploitation attempts that leverage this specific timing discrepancy to gain unauthorized access to enterprise security platforms.