CVE-2023-50948 is a vulnerability identified in IBM Storage Fusion HCI versions 2.1.0 through 2.6.1, involving the use of hard-coded credentials within the product. Specifically, the software contains embedded passwords or cryptographic keys that are used for inbound authentication, outbound communication with external components, or encryption of internal data. This practice violates secure coding principles as hard-coded credentials can be extracted by attackers who gain access to the system or software binaries, enabling unauthorized access or interception of sensitive communications. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-259, which pertains to the use of hard-coded passwords. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.5 (medium severity), with the vector indicating that the attack vector is adjacent network (AV:A), requires no privileges (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts confidentiality (C:H) but not integrity or availability. This suggests that an attacker within the local network or connected environment could exploit the vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or communications protected by these hard-coded credentials. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The presence of hard-coded credentials can also facilitate lateral movement within a compromised environment or allow attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms, increasing the risk of data exposure or further compromise. Given that IBM Storage Fusion HCI is a hyperconverged infrastructure solution used for storage and compute resource management, exploitation could expose critical infrastructure components and sensitive enterprise data.

For European organizations, the exploitation of CVE-2023-50948 could lead to significant confidentiality breaches, especially in sectors relying on IBM Storage Fusion HCI for critical data storage and processing, such as finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and government. Unauthorized access enabled by hard-coded credentials could allow attackers to intercept or exfiltrate sensitive data, potentially violating GDPR and other data protection regulations, resulting in legal and financial penalties. Additionally, attackers could leverage this vulnerability to move laterally within enterprise networks, escalating the scope of compromise. The medium severity rating reflects that while the vulnerability does not directly impact system integrity or availability, the confidentiality impact is high, which is critical for organizations handling sensitive or regulated data. The lack of required privileges or user interaction lowers the barrier for exploitation by insiders or attackers with local network access, increasing risk in environments with less network segmentation or monitoring. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not diminish the importance of remediation, as threat actors could develop exploits given the public disclosure.

European organizations using IBM Storage Fusion HCI should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Immediately inventory and identify all instances of IBM Storage Fusion HCI versions 2.1.0 through 2.6.1 in their environment. 2) Monitor IBM security advisories closely for patches or updates addressing CVE-2023-50948 and apply them promptly once available. 3) Until patches are released, restrict network access to Storage Fusion HCI management interfaces and communication channels to trusted hosts and networks only, employing strict network segmentation and firewall rules to limit exposure. 4) Conduct thorough credential audits and rotate any credentials that may be impacted or related to the hard-coded passwords, if possible. 5) Implement enhanced logging and monitoring around Storage Fusion HCI components to detect anomalous authentication attempts or unusual communication patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. 6) Employ multi-factor authentication (MFA) and additional access controls around management interfaces to reduce risk from compromised credentials. 7) Educate IT and security teams about the risks of hard-coded credentials and ensure secure development and deployment practices are followed for all infrastructure components. 8) Consider compensating controls such as encryption of data at rest and in transit independent of the vulnerable components to reduce data exposure risk.