CVE-2023-45182 in i Access Client Solutions
Summary
by MITRE • 12/14/2023
IBM i Access Client Solutions 1.1.2 through 1.1.4 and 1.1.4.3 through 1.1.9.3 is vulnerable to having its key for an encrypted password decoded. By somehow gaining access to the encrypted password, a local attacker could exploit this vulnerability to obtain the password to other systems. IBM X-Force ID: 268265.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/14/2023
This vulnerability resides within IBM i Access Client Solutions, a critical component used for connecting to IBM i systems, specifically affecting versions 1.1.2 through 1.1.4 and 1.1.4.3 through 1.1.9.3. The flaw represents a cryptographic weakness that allows unauthorized decryption of password encryption keys, fundamentally undermining the security of authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability manifests when an attacker gains access to an encrypted password and can leverage this to reverse-engineer the underlying password, creating a potential pathway for lateral movement across interconnected systems. This represents a significant concern for enterprise environments where IBM i systems are prevalent and where the compromised credentials could provide access to sensitive business-critical infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate key management practices within the encryption framework of IBM i Access Client Solutions. The system's failure to properly isolate or protect encryption keys means that an attacker who can observe or intercept encrypted password data can potentially reverse the encryption process to recover the plaintext password. This weakness aligns with CWE-310, which addresses cryptographic issues related to key management and the improper handling of cryptographic keys. The vulnerability operates at the application level and requires local access to the system where the client solution is installed, making it particularly dangerous in environments where physical or network access controls are insufficient. Attackers could potentially exploit this through various means including privilege escalation, local file access, or by leveraging other initial compromise vectors that grant them access to the encrypted data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as compromised passwords could provide attackers with access to entire IBM i environments and potentially interconnected systems. The affected versions of IBM i Access Client Solutions are widely deployed across enterprise environments, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations that rely heavily on IBM i systems for mission-critical operations. This weakness creates opportunities for attackers to escalate privileges, move laterally within networks, and potentially access sensitive data repositories that are protected by the compromised credentials. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.001, which covers the exploitation of unencrypted credentials, and represents a significant risk for organizations that have not implemented proper access controls or monitoring for local system modifications. Organizations using these vulnerable versions face potential data breaches, unauthorized system access, and compromise of business-critical operations that rely on IBM i infrastructure.
Organizations should immediately update to the latest versions of IBM i Access Client Solutions that address this vulnerability, as IBM has released patches and updates to remediate the cryptographic key handling issues. The implementation of additional security controls including enhanced local access controls, monitoring for unauthorized system modifications, and regular security assessments of client installations is essential to prevent exploitation. Security teams should also implement network segmentation to limit local access to systems running the vulnerable client software and establish monitoring for unusual credential access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. System administrators should conduct thorough inventory checks to identify all installations of the vulnerable versions and ensure proper patch management procedures are in place to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in the future. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper cryptographic key management practices and highlights the need for organizations to maintain up-to-date security configurations for all client software components.