Security Bulletin: Vulnerability in InstallShield affects IBM Tivoli Storage Manager for Virtual Environments: Data Protection for VMware (CVE-2016-2542)

Summary

InstallShield generates installation executables which are vulnerable to a DLL-planting that affects IBM Tivoli Storage Manager for Virtual Environments: Data Protection for VMware (IBM Spectrum Protect for Virtual Environments) on Windows platforms.

Vulnerability Details

CVEID: CVE-2016-2542** *DESCRIPTION: Flexera InstallShield could allow a local attacker to gain elevated privileges on the system, caused by an untrusted search path. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability using a Trojan horse DLL in the current working directory of a setup-launcher executable file to gain elevated privileges on the system.
CVSS Base Score: 7.8
CVSS Temporal Score: See https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/110914 for the current score
CVSS Environmental Score: Undefined
CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)

Affected Products and Versions

The following levels of IBM Tivoli Storage Manager for Virtual Environments: Data Protection for VMware (IBM Spectrum Protect for Virtual Environments) are affected on the Windows platform:

• 7.1.0.0 through 7.1.4.0
• 6.4.0.0 through 6.4.3.2
• 6.3.0.0 through 6.3.2.6

Remediation/Fixes

This security exposure occurs only at installation time and does not affect an already installed Tivoli Storage Manager for Virtual Environments: Data Protection for VMware.

If you are not installing a fixed level of Tivoli Storage Manager for Virtual Environments: Data Protection for VMware (7.1.4.1, 6.4.3.3, or 6.3.2.7), then the installation package is vulnerable to this security issue during installation and you must use the workaround provided below to prevent being exposed to the vulnerability.

Tivoli Storage Manager for Virtual Environments: Data Protection for VMware Release|First Fixing VRM Level|Client
Platform|Link to Fix / Fix Availability Target
—|—|—|—
7.1| 7.1.4.1| Windows| http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg24041937
6.4| 6.4.3.3| Windows| <http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg24041370&gt;
6.3| 6.3.2.7| Windows| http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg24037601

Workarounds and Mitigations

This security exposure occurs only at installation time and does not affect an already installed Tivoli Storage Manager for Virtual Environments: Data Protection for VMware.

To prevent exposure to this security vulnerability, download and run the installation package from a clean directory using the following steps:

1. As an administrator, create a new secure directory. The directory must not exist before and only the administrator should have write permission to it.
2. Unzip or copy the files from your installation media into this new directory.
3. Run the installation exe from this directory to install the product. Proceed with the installation as normal.

If installation of a Tivoli Storage Manager for Virtual Environments: Data Protection for VMware package below the fixing level (7.1.4.1, 6.4.3.3, or 6.3.2.7) is required, then the above workaround should be used to avoid exposure to this vulnerability during the installation process. The workaround is not needed if the fixing level (7.1.4.1, 6.4.3.3, or 6.3.2.7) or a higher level of the package is installed.