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Websphere Application ServerApplication · Ibm

CVE-2011-4889

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2018-02-08
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.1.0.43 / 7.0.0.21 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The javax.naming.directory.AttributeInUseException class in the Virtual Member Manager in IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) 6.1 before 6.1.0.43, 7.0 before 7.0.0.21, and 8.0 before 8.0.0.2 does not properly update passwords on a configuration using Tivoli Directory Server, which might allow remote attackers to gain access to an application by leveraging knowledge of an old password. IBM X-Force ID: 72581.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The Virtual Member Manager in IBM WebSphere Application Server versions 6.1, 7.0, and 8.0 fails to properly propagate password updates to Tivoli Directory Server. When a password is changed, the javax.naming.directory.AttributeInUseException handling causes the old password to remain valid in the directory, creating an authentication bypass where knowledge of a prior password grants unauthorized access.

MitigationApply IBM WebSphere fix packs 6.1.0.43, 7.0.0.21, or 8.0.0.2 or later to correct the Virtual Member Manager password synchronization failure with Tivoli Directory Server.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Websphere Application ServerApplication
Affected:>= 6.1, < 6.1.0.43>= 7.0, < 7.0.0.21>= 8.0, < 8.0.0.2

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check WebSphere Application Server version
    Log into the WebSphere Administration Console and navigate to Servers > Server Types > WebSphere application servers > [server_name] > Version, or run 'wsadmin -connType SOAP -c "print AdminTask.getVersion()"'
    Affected if The installed version is 6.1.x before 6.1.0.43, 7.0.x before 7.0.0.21, or 8.0.x before 8.0.0.2
  2. Verify Virtual Member Manager is configured
    In WebSphere Admin Console, navigate to Security > Global security > User account repository > Available realm definitions, or check the security.xml configuration file for VMM configuration
    Affected if Virtual Member Manager (VMM) or Federated Repository is configured as the user registry
  3. Confirm Tivoli Directory Server is the user registry
    Check the VMM repository configuration in Security > Global security > User account repository > Federated repositories > Repository identifier, or examine the repository configuration XML files
    Affected if Tivoli Directory Server is configured as the underlying directory for user authentication

You are affected if your WebSphere version is below the fixed levels AND you use Virtual Member Manager with Tivoli Directory Server as the user registry.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 6.1.0.43 / 7.0.0.21 / 8.0.0.2 or later
Fixed in 6.1.0.437.0.0.218.0.0.2
Interim mitigation

Apply IBM WebSphere fix packs 6.1.0.43, 7.0.0.21, or 8.0.0.2 or later to correct the Virtual Member Manager password synchronization failure with Tivoli Directory Server.

Recommended fix High confidence

WebSphere Application Server 6.1.0.43 or later; 7.0.0.21 or later; 8.0.0.2 or later

  1. 1. Back up the current WebSphere Application Server configuration and all critical data.
  2. 2. Review IBM WebSphere Application Server fix packs at https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/websphere-application-server-fix-list
  3. 3. For WAS 6.1: Download and apply Fix Pack 43 (6.1.0.43) or later.
  4. 4. For WAS 7.0: Download and apply Fix Pack 21 (7.0.0.21) or later.
  5. 5. For WAS 8.0: Download and apply Fix Pack 2 (8.0.0.2) or later.
  6. 6. Apply the fix using IBM Installation Manager or the update installer following IBM's standard patching procedures.
  7. 7. Restart the WebSphere Application Server after applying the fix.
  8. 8. Verify the Virtual Member Manager password update functionality works correctly with Tivoli Directory Server.
Caveat Upgrading WebSphere Application Server fix packs may introduce compatibility issues with custom applications; thoroughly test in a non-production environment first

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Websphere Application Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,760
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2011-4889 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data