CVE-2017-1092
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2017-1092 is a critical vulnerability in IBM Informix Open Admin Tool that allows unauthorized attackers to execute arbitrary code with system administrator privileges on Windows servers. This affects IBM Informix Open Admin Tool versions 11.5, 11.7, and 12.1 running on Windows systems.
💻 Affected Systems
- IBM Informix Open Admin Tool
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with full administrative control, data theft, lateral movement, and persistent backdoor installation across the network.
Likely Case
Remote code execution leading to data exfiltration, credential harvesting, and deployment of ransomware or other malware.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper network segmentation, least privilege, and monitoring are in place, though initial compromise of the Informix server is still possible.
🎯 Exploit Status
Multiple public exploits exist on Exploit-DB (42091, 42541) demonstrating reliable exploitation. No authentication required.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Apply fix packs as specified in IBM advisory
Vendor Advisory: http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg22002897
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Review IBM advisory for specific fix packs for your version. 2. Download and apply the appropriate fix pack from IBM Fix Central. 3. Restart the Informix Open Admin Tool service. 4. Verify the patch is applied by checking version.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Access Restriction
windowsRestrict network access to the Informix Open Admin Tool to only trusted IP addresses or internal networks.
Use Windows Firewall: netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Block OAT" dir=in action=block protocol=TCP localport=9088 remoteip=any
Use network ACLs on routers/firewalls to restrict access to port 9088
Service Disablement
windowsTemporarily disable the Open Admin Tool service if not actively required.
sc stop "IBM Informix Open Admin Tool"
sc config "IBM Informix Open Admin Tool" start= disabled
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Immediately restrict network access to the Open Admin Tool using firewall rules to only allow trusted administrative IPs
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate Informix servers from critical assets and monitor all traffic to/from these systems
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if IBM Informix Open Admin Tool version 11.5, 11.7, or 12.1 is installed on Windows and if port 9088 is accessible.Check Version:
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\IBM\Informix\OpenAdminTool" /v VersionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify the installed version is no longer 11.5, 11.7, or 12.1 by checking the version in the application or via registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IBM\Informix\OpenAdminTool📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual process creation from the Open Admin Tool service
- Failed authentication attempts followed by successful exploitation patterns
- Windows Event Log entries showing unexpected service restarts or privilege escalation
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from the Informix server
- Traffic to port 9088 from unexpected sources
- Exploit payload patterns in network traffic
SIEM Query:
source="windows" AND (process_name="oat*" OR service_name="IBM Informix Open Admin Tool") AND (event_id=4688 OR event_id=4624) AND dest_port=9088