CVE-2024-31898
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in IBM InfoSphere Information Server 11.7 allows authenticated users to bypass authorization controls and access or modify sensitive data they shouldn't have permission to view. It affects organizations running vulnerable versions of IBM InfoSphere Information Server. The issue stems from insecure direct object references where users can manipulate references to access unauthorized resources.
💻 Affected Systems
- IBM InfoSphere Information Server
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Authenticated attackers could access and modify sensitive business data, configuration files, or user information, potentially leading to data breaches, compliance violations, or system compromise.
Likely Case
Privilege escalation where authenticated users with limited permissions gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or administrative functions they shouldn't have.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and monitoring, impact is limited to attempted unauthorized access that can be detected and blocked.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access but manipulation of object references is typically straightforward once authenticated.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Apply fix pack 11.7.1.4 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7158425
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download fix pack 11.7.1.4 or later from IBM Fix Central. 2. Backup your current installation. 3. Apply the fix pack following IBM's installation instructions. 4. Restart the InfoSphere Information Server services.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Implement additional access controls
allAdd application-level authorization checks to validate user permissions for each object reference access.
Restrict user permissions
allApply principle of least privilege to limit what authenticated users can access.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate InfoSphere servers from untrusted networks
- Enable detailed logging and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts to sensitive resources
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if running IBM InfoSphere Information Server version 11.7 without fix pack 11.7.1.4 or later applied.Check Version:
Check the InfoSphere Information Server administration console or installation logs for version information.Verify Fix Applied:
Verify that fix pack 11.7.1.4 or later is installed and the version shows as patched in the system information.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual access patterns to sensitive resources
- Failed authorization attempts followed by successful access
- User accessing resources outside their normal permission scope
Network Indicators:
- Repeated requests to object references with manipulated parameters
- Access to administrative endpoints from non-admin users
SIEM Query:
source="infosphere" AND (event_type="access_denied" OR event_type="unauthorized_access") AND user!="admin" AND resource="sensitive_*"