CVE-2023-42012 in UrbanCode Deploy
Summary
by MITRE • 12/20/2023
An IBM UrbanCode Deploy Agent 7.2 through 7.2.3.7, and 7.3 through 7.3.2.2 installed as a Windows service in a non-standard location could be subject to a denial of service attack by local accounts. IBM X-Force ID: 265509.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/13/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-42012 affects IBM UrbanCode Deploy Agent versions 7.2 through 7.2.3.7 and 7.3 through 7.3.2.2 when installed as Windows services in non-standard locations. This security flaw represents a denial of service condition that can be exploited by local accounts, potentially disrupting critical deployment operations within enterprise environments. The issue specifically manifests when the agent service operates in non-standard installation paths, creating an attack surface that adversaries can leverage to compromise system availability.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of service installation paths and insufficient validation of service execution contexts. When the UrbanCode Deploy Agent is installed in non-standard Windows service locations, the application fails to properly validate or sanitize the service execution environment, creating opportunities for local accounts to manipulate service behavior. This flaw allows unauthorized local users to trigger service termination or resource exhaustion, effectively rendering the deployment agent unavailable for legitimate operations. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-248, which addresses "Uncaught Exception" conditions in software systems, and represents a failure to properly handle service lifecycle management in Windows environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, potentially affecting critical deployment workflows and continuous integration processes within organizations. Local accounts with minimal privileges can exploit this weakness to cause service downtime, leading to delayed deployments, failed release cycles, and operational disruptions that can cascade across dependent systems. Organizations relying on UrbanCode Deploy for application deployment orchestration face significant risk of service degradation or complete unavailability of their deployment infrastructure. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where multiple local accounts may exist and where service availability is critical for maintaining operational continuity and deployment automation processes.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including ensuring proper service installation in standard locations, applying the latest security patches from IBM, and implementing strict access controls for local accounts. The recommended approach involves moving services to standard Windows service directories and conducting comprehensive audits of service installations to identify and remediate non-standard configurations. System administrators should also consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized service manipulation attempts and establish privileged access management controls to limit local account capabilities. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following security best practices for service installation and configuration, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1543.003 for Windows Service Installation and T1078 for Valid Accounts to prevent exploitation by local adversaries.