CVE-2020-4429 Scanner

IBM Data Risk Manager is a comprehensive solution used by organizations to identify, analyze, and manage data risks across various systems. It is predominantly utilized by large enterprises and organizations to safeguard sensitive data and ensure compliance with data protection regulations. Its capabilities include risk assessment, threat detection, and reporting functionalities to provide a holistic view of data security. By ingesting data from multiple sources, IBM Data Risk Manager helps security teams prioritize risk mitigation actions. The software is often employed by IT and security professionals seeking to fortify their organization's security posture. Due to its comprehensive nature, it integrates with numerous other security tools to enhance its risk management framework.

The vulnerability present in IBM Data Risk Manager is due to hard-coded credentials within the software. This flaw allows remote attackers to access the system using default administrative accounts that have not been properly secured. By exploiting this vulnerability, attackers can potentially gain root access to the system. Such a vulnerability is often due to oversight in configuration settings during the deployment of the software. The critical nature of this vulnerability arises from the elevated privileges accessible upon exploitation. Mitigating this vulnerability involves changing the default passwords immediately upon system setup.

This specific vulnerability lies in the hard-coded credentials used within IBM Data Risk Manager's SSH service. Attackers can exploit these default credentials to authenticate into the system via the SSH protocol, typically on port 22. This vulnerability is categorized under CWE-798, indicating the use of hard-coded credentials for authentication. A successful exploitation grants attackers the ability to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges. These operations can compromise data integrity, confidentiality, and availability. The administration interfaces that should have been better protected serve as the primary points of vulnerability in this scenario.

If exploited, this vulnerability could lead to several severe outcomes. Attackers gaining root access can manipulate, delete, or steal sensitive data, which results in significant data breaches. Additionally, the attackers might execute arbitrary code, which could disrupt the services provided by the organization, leading to operational downtimes and loss of revenue. There's also the potential for reputational damage if stakeholders realize their data has been compromised. Such breaches could lead to further scrutiny and regulatory fines, especially if the organization fails to comply with data protection laws. The widespread access enabled by this vulnerability poses a critical risk that requires immediate remediation.

REFERENCES

• https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/180534
• https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/linux/ssh/ibm_drm_a3user.rb
• https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/security-bulletin-vulnerabilities-exist-ibm-data-risk-manager-cve-2020-4427-cve-2020-4428-cve-2020-4429-and-cve-2020-4430