CVE-2023-45191
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in IBM Engineering Lifecycle Optimization allows remote attackers to brute force account credentials due to inadequate account lockout settings. It affects versions 7.0.2 and 7.0.3 of the software, potentially compromising user accounts and organizational data.
💻 Affected Systems
- IBM Engineering Lifecycle Optimization
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise through credential brute-forcing leading to unauthorized access, data theft, privilege escalation, and lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Successful brute-force attacks against weak or reused passwords, resulting in unauthorized access to user accounts and sensitive engineering lifecycle data.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper account lockout policies, strong passwords, and monitoring in place, though some risk remains from sophisticated attacks.
🎯 Exploit Status
Brute-force attacks are well-understood and tools are widely available, though no specific public exploit code is confirmed.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Apply interim fix or upgrade as per IBM advisory
Vendor Advisory: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7116045
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Review IBM advisory at provided URL. 2. Apply recommended interim fix or upgrade to patched version. 3. Restart affected services. 4. Verify fix implementation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Implement Account Lockout Policy
allConfigure account lockout after failed login attempts to prevent brute-force attacks.
Configure via IBM Engineering Lifecycle Optimization administration console: Set account lockout threshold to 5-10 failed attempts with appropriate lockout duration.
Enforce Strong Password Policy
allRequire complex passwords with minimum length, character variety, and regular rotation.
Configure via administration console: Set minimum password length to 12+ characters, require uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters, enforce 90-day rotation.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network segmentation to restrict access to vulnerable systems
- Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all user accounts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check IBM Engineering Lifecycle Optimization version via administration console or system logs; versions 7.0.2 and 7.0.3 are vulnerable.Check Version:
Check via IBM Engineering Lifecycle Optimization administration console under 'About' or 'System Information' section.Verify Fix Applied:
Verify patch application by checking version or fix level in administration console, then test account lockout functionality with controlled failed login attempts.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple failed login attempts from single IP address
- Account lockout events
- Unusual login patterns or times
Network Indicators:
- High volume of authentication requests to vulnerable endpoints
- Traffic patterns consistent with brute-force tools
SIEM Query:
source="ibm_elo_logs" AND (event_type="failed_login" COUNT BY src_ip OVER 5m > 10) OR event_type="account_lockout"