CVE-2018-1443
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 · uneditedAn XML parsing vulnerability affects IBM SAML-based single sign-on (SSO) systems (IBM Security Access Manager 9.0.0 - 9.0.4 and IBM Tivoli Federated Identity Manager 6.2 - 6.0.2.) This vulnerability can allow an attacker with authenticated access to trick SAML systems into authenticating as a different user without knowledge of the victim users password. IBM X-Force ID: 139754.
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 · moderate confidenceXML parsing vulnerability in IBM Security Access Manager 9.0.0-9.0.4 and IBM Tivoli Federated Identity Manager 6.2-6.0.2 allows an authenticated attacker to manipulate SAML assertions and impersonate other users without knowing their passwords.
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>= 9.0.0, <= 9.0.4= 6.2.0= 6.2.1= 6.2.2CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- Low
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify IBM Security Access Manager versionLocate the installed version of IBM Security Access Manager in the system documentation, about page, or version registry. Common locations include the installation directory metadata or admin console.Affected if The installed version is between 9.0.0 and 9.0.4 inclusive
-
Identify IBM Tivoli Federated Identity Manager versionLocate the installed version of IBM Tivoli Federated Identity Manager in the system documentation, about page, or installation metadata.Affected if The installed version is 6.2.0, 6.2.1, or 6.2.2
-
Verify SAML federation is configuredCheck whether SAML federation or SAML single sign-on is enabled in the product administrative console or configuration files.Affected if SAML federation functionality is actively configured or enabled in the environment
-
Inspect XML signature validation for SAML assertionsReview the SAML configuration settings related to XML signature validation and XML parsing. Look for settings controlling how SAML assertions are validated.Affected if XML signature validation is not properly enforced or XML parsing allows manipulation of SAML assertions
You are likely affected if you have an affected version of either product (ISAM 9.0.0-9.0.4 or TFIM 6.2.0-6.2.2) with SAML federation enabled and insufficient XML signature validation on SAML assertions.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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.
From vendor dataUpgrade to patched versions of IBM Security Access Manager and Tivoli Federated Identity Manager. Apply IBM security patches for X-Force ID 139754 and review SAML configuration for proper XML signature validation.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,224.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-1443 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-1443 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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