CVE-2024-49808 in Sterling Connect:Direct Web Services
Summary
by MITRE • 04/18/2025
IBM Sterling Connect:Direct Web Services 6.1.0, 6.2.0, and 6.3.0 could allow an authenticated user to spoof the identity of another user due to improper authorization which could allow the user to bypass access restrictions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/01/2025
IBM Sterling Connect:Direct Web Services versions 6.1.0 through 6.3.0 contain a critical authorization flaw that enables authenticated users to impersonate other users within the system. This vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of user permissions and session management mechanisms that fail to properly verify the authenticity of user requests. The flaw exists in the web services layer where user identity assertions are not sufficiently validated against the actual system permissions, creating a path for privilege escalation attacks. This issue directly maps to CWE-285: Improper Authorization, which is a fundamental weakness in access control implementation that allows unauthorized users to perform actions they should not be permitted to execute.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows an attacker who has gained initial access to the system through legitimate authentication to manipulate request parameters or session tokens in ways that bypass normal authorization checks. When users authenticate to the Connect:Direct Web Services, their credentials are accepted and a session is established, but the system fails to maintain proper isolation between user contexts during subsequent operations. This misconfiguration enables an authenticated user to submit requests that appear to originate from different user accounts, effectively allowing them to access resources, perform operations, or view data that belongs to other users within the same system. The flaw is particularly dangerous because it operates at the authorization layer rather than the authentication layer, meaning that even if the initial login is secure, the system cannot properly enforce access controls once the user is authenticated.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted across multiple attack vectors. An attacker could leverage this flaw to access sensitive data belonging to other users, modify or delete files that should be restricted, execute unauthorized administrative functions, or perform other privileged operations within the Connect:Direct environment. This capability significantly increases the potential for data breaches, insider threat exploitation, and lateral movement within networks that rely on IBM Sterling Connect:Direct for file transfer and data exchange operations. The vulnerability affects organizations that depend on these web services for business-critical file transfers and data synchronization processes, potentially leading to compliance violations, regulatory penalties, and significant financial losses. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with T1078: Valid Accounts and T1531: Account Access Removal, as it enables adversaries to leverage legitimate credentials to gain unauthorized access to additional user accounts and potentially persist within the system.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches, implementing additional monitoring and logging of user activities, and conducting comprehensive access control reviews. The most effective immediate response involves disabling unnecessary web services functionality, implementing stricter session management controls, and ensuring that all user interactions are properly audited. Security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation to limit access to the Connect:Direct services and deploy additional authentication controls such as multi-factor authentication to reduce the risk of exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper authorization implementation in distributed systems and highlights the need for continuous security testing and validation of access control mechanisms. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure they can quickly detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts involving user impersonation attacks.