# CVE-2018-1640: Command injection in Security Privileged Identity Manager

> Remote authenticated attackers can execute arbitrary commands on IBM Security Privileged Identity Manager Virtual Appliance via crafted requests.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.0/UI:N/C:H/S:U/AC:L/PR:L/AV:N/A:H/I:H/RC:C/RL:O/E:U`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 2 Apr 2019
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5r4m-p4mf-4gm4

## What is CVE-2018-1640?

CVE-2018-1640 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in IBM Security Privileged Identity Manager, published on 2 Apr 2019. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM Security Privileged Identity Manager Virtual Appliance 2.2.1 could allow a remote authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the system. By sending a specially-crafted request, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary commands on the system. IBM X-Force ID: 144580.

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-1640?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Security Privileged Identity Manager.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-1640?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-1640 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-1640 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-1640 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in IBM Security Privileged Identity Manager

- [CVE-2016-5964](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5964/): Security feature bypass in Privileged Identity Manager (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-1618](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-1618/): Path traversal in Security Privileged Identity Manager (high 7.7)
- [CVE-2016-5958](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5958/): Information disclosure in Privileged Identity Manager (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2016-5988](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5988/): Information disclosure in Privileged Identity Manager (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2016-2996](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-2996/): Path traversal in n/a (medium 6.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-1640 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-1640 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in IBM Security Privileged Identity Manager, published on 2 Apr 2019. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-1640 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM Security Privileged Identity Manager. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-1640/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-1640/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-1640
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-1640
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-1640

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-1640/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.