CVE-2024-31874 in Security Verify Access Appliance
Summary
by MITRE • 04/10/2024
IBM Security Verify Access Appliance 10.0.0 through 10.0.7 uses uninitialized variables when deploying that could allow a local user to cause a denial of service. IBM X-Force ID: 287318.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/04/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-31874 affects IBM Security Verify Access Appliance versions 10.0.0 through 10.0.7, representing a critical weakness in the appliance's deployment mechanism that could be exploited by local attackers to induce denial of service conditions. This issue manifests during the deployment process when the system fails to properly initialize certain variables, creating a potential attack surface that adversaries can leverage to disrupt normal operations. The vulnerability specifically targets the appliance's internal state management during deployment phases, where uninitialized variables can lead to unpredictable behavior and system instability.
The technical flaw stems from improper initialization of variables within the deployment code path of the IBM Security Verify Access Appliance. When the system attempts to deploy configurations or updates, certain variables remain uninitialized, which can cause the application to behave erratically or crash entirely. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-457 category of "Use of Uninitialized Variable" as defined by the CWE standard, where programs access variables that have not been properly initialized, potentially leading to undefined behavior. The uninitialized variables could contain arbitrary data from memory, causing the deployment process to fail or execute unintended code paths that result in system instability.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to organizations relying on IBM Security Verify Access Appliance for identity and access management services. A local attacker with access to the system could exploit this weakness to cause repeated denial of service conditions, potentially disrupting authentication services, user access, and overall system availability. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption as the appliance may become unresponsive or require manual intervention to recover, leading to extended downtime and potential business disruption. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where continuous availability is critical for security operations and access control.
The attack vector for this vulnerability requires local system access, making it less severe than remote exploitation scenarios but still dangerous in environments where privileged access is compromised or where attackers have gained foothold through other means. The exploitation process involves triggering the deployment functionality while the uninitialized variables are in use, potentially causing the system to crash or enter an inconsistent state that prevents normal operation. Organizations should consider implementing additional access controls and monitoring mechanisms to detect potential exploitation attempts. Mitigation strategies include applying the vendor-provided patches, implementing proper access controls to limit local system access, and monitoring system logs for unusual deployment activity or system crashes that could indicate exploitation attempts.
Organizations should also consider the broader implications of this vulnerability within their security posture, as it demonstrates potential weaknesses in the appliance's code quality and testing processes. The vulnerability may indicate broader issues with variable initialization practices within the application, suggesting that similar weaknesses could exist in other components. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their IBM Security Verify Access deployments to identify potential similar issues and ensure proper patch management processes are in place. Additionally, the incident highlights the importance of proper software development practices and code review processes to prevent such initialization errors from reaching production environments. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for "Endpoint Denial of Service" and may be relevant to T1078.004 for "Valid Accounts" if local access is obtained through compromised credentials, emphasizing the need for layered security approaches to protect against such attacks.