CVE-2024-45675: IBM Informix Authentication Bypass Flaw

CVE-2024-45675 Overview

CVE-2024-45675 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability affecting IBM Informix Dynamic Server 14.10. This flaw could allow a local user on the system to log into the Informix server as administrator without a password, completely bypassing the authentication mechanism designed to protect administrative access.

Critical Impact

A local attacker can gain full administrative access to the IBM Informix database server without providing valid credentials, potentially leading to complete database compromise, data theft, and system manipulation.

Affected Products

• IBM Informix Dynamic Server 14.10

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-12-02 - CVE-2024-45675 published to NVD
• 2025-12-03 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-45675

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-309 (Use of Password System for Primary Authentication) and carries a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8 (HIGH). The CVSS vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H indicates:

• Attack Vector (AV:L): Local access is required to exploit this vulnerability
• Attack Complexity (AC:L): Low complexity - the attack is straightforward to execute
• Privileges Required (PR:L): Low privileges are needed on the local system
• User Interaction (UI:N): No user interaction is required
• Impact: High impact on Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability

The Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) rates this vulnerability with a probability score of 0.014%, placing it at the 1.93 percentile, indicating relatively low likelihood of exploitation in the wild.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-45675 lies in the improper implementation of authentication mechanisms within IBM Informix Dynamic Server 14.10. The authentication system fails to properly validate credentials when a local user attempts to authenticate as an administrator, allowing the authentication process to succeed without requiring a password. This represents a fundamental flaw in the password-based authentication system (CWE-309) where the primary authentication mechanism can be completely bypassed under specific conditions.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability requires local access to the system where IBM Informix Dynamic Server is installed. An attacker with low-level privileges on the local system can exploit this flaw to escalate their privileges to database administrator level. This local privilege escalation attack does not require any user interaction and can be executed with low complexity.

The exploitation process involves a local user initiating an authentication request to the Informix server using administrator credentials. Due to the authentication bypass flaw, the server fails to properly verify the password, granting administrative access regardless of whether a valid password was provided. This gives the attacker full control over the database server, including the ability to read, modify, or delete data, create or drop databases, and potentially execute commands on the underlying system depending on the server configuration.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-45675

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected administrative sessions in Informix server logs without corresponding valid authentication entries
• Unusual database operations performed by administrator accounts during off-hours or from unexpected local user contexts
• Audit logs showing successful administrative logins from local user accounts that should not have administrative privileges
• Changes to database configurations, user permissions, or sensitive data by accounts with no legitimate business need

Detection Strategies

Organizations should implement comprehensive logging and monitoring for their IBM Informix Dynamic Server instances. Review authentication logs for any suspicious patterns where administrative access is granted without proper credential verification. Monitor for privilege escalation attempts from local user accounts and implement database activity monitoring (DAM) solutions to detect unauthorized administrative operations.

Security teams should also leverage endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for suspicious processes interacting with the Informix server binaries. SentinelOne's Singularity platform provides real-time detection of privilege escalation attempts and can identify anomalous behavior patterns associated with authentication bypass exploitation.

Monitoring Recommendations

Implement continuous monitoring of IBM Informix Dynamic Server authentication events. Configure alerts for administrative login attempts from local accounts, especially during non-business hours. Deploy file integrity monitoring on Informix configuration files to detect unauthorized modifications. Enable verbose logging on the Informix server and forward logs to a centralized SIEM solution for correlation and analysis.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-45675

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the security patch from IBM immediately by following the guidance in the vendor advisory
• Restrict local access to systems running IBM Informix Dynamic Server to only authorized personnel
• Review and audit all administrative accounts and access permissions on affected systems
• Implement network segmentation to isolate database servers from general user workstations
• Enable comprehensive audit logging on the Informix server to capture all authentication attempts

Patch Information

IBM has released a security advisory addressing this vulnerability. Organizations running IBM Informix Dynamic Server 14.10 should immediately consult the vendor advisory at https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7252704 for detailed patching instructions and updated software versions that remediate this authentication bypass flaw.

Workarounds

While awaiting patch deployment, organizations should implement the following temporary mitigations:

• Restrict local system access by implementing strict access controls and removing unnecessary user accounts from systems hosting IBM Informix Dynamic Server
• Implement network-level controls to limit connections to the database server from trusted sources only
• Enable enhanced logging and monitoring to detect any exploitation attempts
• Consider implementing host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS) to monitor for suspicious authentication activity
• Deploy SentinelOne agents on affected systems to provide real-time threat detection and response capabilities against potential exploitation attempts

Organizations should prioritize patching as the primary remediation and use workarounds only as interim protective measures until the security update can be applied.