Security Bulletin: Vulnerability in the IBM Installation Manager script (CVE-2015-7442)

Summary

IBM Installation Manager “consoleinst.sh” script is subject to a vulnerability that may allow a local user to obtain administrative access.

Vulnerability Details

CVEID: CVE-2015-7442**
DESCRIPTION:** There is a “/tmp” race condition in IBM’s Installation Manager “consoleinst.sh” script that could allow a local user to obtain administrator access. If a local user can guess the PID of the installation script when executed by an administrator then they could place a malicious script in its place to be executed as root. Note that the Installation Manager “consoleinst.sh” script is only useful during a console mode install from a multi-CD/DVD disk set and it is not documented.
CVSS Base Score: 7.4
CVSS Temporal Score: See https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/108171 for the current score
CVSS Environmental Score*: Undefined
CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)

Affected Products and Versions

IBM Installation Manager pre-1.8 versions 1.4.2 thru 1.7.4.3 and versions 1.8 through 1.8.3.

Remediation/Fixes

Product

| VRMF| APAR| Remediation/First Fix
—|—|—|—
IBM Installation Manager and IBM Packaging Utility| 1.7.4.x | None| 1.7.4.4 IBM Installation Manager Remediation_
_1.7.4.4 IBM Packaging Utility Remediation

Please note that the 1.7.4.4 fix is intended for upgrade of 1.7.4.3 and earlier versions which continue support on platforms that are NOT supported by 1.8 or later versions.
Users running 1.7.4.3 or earlier version on platforms that ARE supported by 1.8.x version, should upgrade to 1.8.4.

IBM Installation Manager and IBM Packaging Utility| 1.8.x| None| 1.8.4 IBM Installation Manager Remediation_
_1.8.4 IBM Packaging Utility Remediation

Workarounds and Mitigations

The “consoleinst.sh” script has a vulnerability and should not be used. Users who need to perform an install from multi-disk product media using the Installation Manager’s console mode, can install the Installation Manager first and then perform the product multi-disk install as a second step:

1. Use the installc, userinstc, and groupinstc launchers with “-c” option, on the Install Packages page, uncheck everything but the IM offering and just install and/or update the Installation Manager offering.
2. After the step 1 install of the Installation Manager completes, launch the installed IM in console mode specifying the “install.xml” response file on the CD/DVD .
   e.g. “/opt/IBM/InstallationManager/eclipse/tools/imcl -c -input <IM installkit location on CD/DVD>/install.xml”