Security Bulletin: Multiple vulnerabilities in IBM Java Runtime affect Rational Directory Server (Tivoli) & Rational Directory Administrator

Summary

There are multiple vulnerabilities in IBM® Runtime Environment Java™ Version 7 and Version 8 used by Rational Directory Server (Tivoli) and Rational Directory Administrator. These issues were disclosed as part of the IBM Java SDK updates in January 2019. Upgrade the JRE in order to resolve these issues.

Vulnerability Details

Rational Directory Server & Rational Directory Administrator are affected by the following vulnerabilities:

CVEID: CVE-2018-12549 DESCRIPTION: Eclipse OpenJ9 could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the system, caused by the failure to omit a null check on the receiver object of an Unsafe call when accelerating it. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on the system.
CVSS Base Score: 9.8
CVSS Temporal Score: See <https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/157513&gt; for the current score
CVSS Environmental Score*: Undefined
CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)

CVEID: CVE-2018-12547 DESCRIPTION: Eclipse OpenJ9 is vulnerable to a buffer overflow, caused by improper bounds checking by the jio_snprintf() and jio_vsnprintf() functions. By sending an overly long argument, a remote attacker could overflow a buffer and execute arbitrary code on the system or cause the application to crash.
CVSS Base Score: 9.8
CVSS Temporal Score: See <https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/157512&gt; for the current score
CVSS Environmental Score*: Undefined
CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)

If you run your own Java code using the IBM Java Runtime delivered with this product, you should evaluate your code to determine whether additional Java vulnerabilities are applicable to your code. For a complete list of vulnerabilities, refer to the “IBM Java SDK Security Bulletin”, located in the References section for more information.

Affected Products and Versions

Rational Directory Server (Tivoli) v5.2.1 iFix 13 and earlier.
Rational Directory Administrator v6.0.0.2 iFix 06 and earlier.

Remediation/Fixes

1. Download one of the following IBM JRE versions that contain the fixes for these vulnerabilities:

• IBM Java Runtime Environment, Version 7 R1 Service Refresh 4 Fix Pack 40
• IBM Java Runtime Environment, Version 8 Service Refresh 5 Fix Pack 30

2. After downloading a fixed IBM JRE version, refer the following technote for JRE upgrade instructions:

• JRE Upgrade Instructions for Rational Directory Server (Tivoli) 5.2.1
• JRE Upgrade Instructions for Rational Directory Administrator 6.0.0.x

NOTE:

To improve the robustness of LDAPS (secure LDAP over TLS) connections, endpoint identification algorithms have been enabled by default.

There may be situations where some applications that were previously able to successfully connect to an LDAPS server may no longer be able to do so.

With this LDAP update, LDAP is asking JSSE to validate the LDAP server’s certificate to ensure it is compliant with hostname verification. With this change, if the server’s certificate is not compliant, then exception will be thrown. In the past, LDAP did not request JSSE to perform hostname verification and a non-compliant server certificate would not have had caused an issue.

In order to resolve the issue, Regenerate the RDS server certificate(tdsserverkey.kdb) so that the certificate’s subject name or certificate’s subject alternate name matches the RDS server hostname, by following instructions from technote:

How can I generate my own ‘tdsserverkey.kdb’ keystore for TLSv12 communication and use it in a IBM Rational Directory Server (Tivoli) deployment?

After regenerating the RDS Server certificate matching with the RDS Server Hostname, use FQDN’s wherever applicable.
E.g. : RDA Login Screen, Creating RDS Partition and DOORS to RDS Connection.

(If you have already regenerated the RDS Server certificate by following above technote, while upgrading to IBM JRE versions 7.1.4.30 or later or 8.0.5.20 or later, then no need to follow the technote again)

For versions of Rational Directory Server that are earlier than version 5.2.1, and Rational Directory Administrator versions earlier than 6.0.0.2, IBM recommends upgrading to a fixed, supported version/release/platform of the product.

Workarounds and Mitigations

None