I Access Client SolutionsApplication · Ibm

CVE-2023-45182

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-12-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.1.9.4 or later.
See remediation →
67/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
IBM i Access Client Solutions 1.1.2 through 1.1.4 and 1.1.4.3 through 1.1.9.3 is vulnerable to having its key for an encrypted password decoded. By somehow gaining access to the encrypted password, a local attacker could exploit this vulnerability to obtain the password to other systems. IBM X-Force ID: 268265.

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 confidence

IBM i Access Client Solutions versions 1.1.2-1.1.4 and 1.1.4.3-1.1.9.3 contains a vulnerability where the encryption key used to protect stored passwords can be decoded by a local attacker who gains access to the encrypted password data, allowing plaintext password recovery and potential credential theft to other systems.

MitigationUpgrade IBM i Access Client Solutions to the latest patched version. Additionally, limit local access to systems where encrypted passwords are stored and implement proper access controls on credential storage locations.

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
I Access Client SolutionsApplication
Affected:>= 1.1.2, <= 1.1.4>= 1.1.4.3, < 1.1.9.4

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N

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. Locate IBM i Access Client Solutions installation
    Check common installation directories such as C:\Program Files\IBM\i Access Client Solutions or C:\Program Files (x86)\IBM\i Access Client Solutions. On Windows, also check the Windows Registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IBM\i Access Client Solutions for the InstallPath value.
    Affected if The application is installed in any directory found through these methods.
  2. Determine installed version
    Locate the version file or check the about dialog. Common locations: version.txt in the installation directory, or run the application and access Help > About IBM i Access Client Solutions. The version typically displays as a numeric string like 1.1.9.3.
    Affected if The installed version falls within 1.1.2 to 1.1.4 inclusive, or 1.1.4.3 to 1.1.9.3 inclusive.
  3. Identify stored password files
    Search for credential storage files. Common patterns include files with names containing 'password', 'credential', 'pwd', or '.dat' files in the installation directory, user profile folders, or application data folders such as %APPDATA%\IBM\i Access Client Solutions. Check subdirectories like config, data, or datastore.
    Affected if Any encrypted password or credential files exist in the application directories or user data folders.
  4. Verify local access to credential files
    Use file system permissions tools (Windows Explorer Properties > Security tab, or icacls command) to examine who has Read access to the directories and files identified in step 3. Check if permissions allow users other than the owner or administrators to read these files.
    Affected if Users without administrative privileges can read the stored credential files, or the files are stored in locations with weak access controls.

The environment is affected if IBM i Access Client Solutions version 1.1.2-1.1.4 or 1.1.4.3-1.1.9.3 is installed and stores encrypted passwords that are accessible to local users with limited privileges.

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 1.1.9.4 or later
Fixed in 1.1.9.4
Interim mitigation

Upgrade IBM i Access Client Solutions to the latest patched version. Additionally, limit local access to systems where encrypted passwords are stored and implement proper access controls on credential storage locations.

Recommended fix High confidence

IBM i Access Client Solutions 1.1.9.4 or later

  1. Navigate to the official IBM website or IBM Fix Central to download IBM i Access Client Solutions version 1.1.9.4 or later
  2. Verify the downloaded installer matches the target operating system platform
  3. Backup any existing IBM i Access Client Solutions configuration files if applicable
  4. Uninstall the current version of IBM i Access Client Solutions
  5. Install the new version (1.1.9.4 or later) using the downloaded installer
  6. Restart any running instances of the application
  7. Verify the installed version matches the fixed release
Caveat Review IBM release notes for version 1.1.9.4 for any functional changes or configuration requirements that may differ from previous versions

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

Fix this in I Access Client Solutions Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,060
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,696.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2023-45182 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