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CVE Record

CVE-2021-38972: IBM Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager 3.0, 3.0.1, 4.0, and 4.1 receives input or data, but it does not validate...

IBM Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager 3.0, 3.0.1, 4.0, and 4.1 receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.

MediumCVSS 4.3Not KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

This vulnerability affects IBM Security/Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager and involves insufficient input validation. A low-privileged authenticated user with network access could potentially cause limited unauthorized data modification. The published scoring shows no confidentiality or availability impact.

Executive priority

Handle through normal vulnerability remediation, prioritizing internet-accessible or broadly reachable management interfaces. The issue is not currently evidenced as actively exploited, but it affects key-management infrastructure.

Technical view

CVE-2021-38972 is an input validation flaw in IBM Security Key Lifecycle Manager versions 3.0, 3.0.1, 4.0, and 4.1 variants. CVSS 3.0 score is 4.3 with network attack vector, low complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, and low integrity impact.

Likely exposure

Exposure is likely limited to organizations running the listed IBM Security Key Lifecycle Manager versions, especially where authenticated users can reach the service over the network.

Exploitation context

The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or confirmed active exploitation. IBM X-Force tracks the issue, but the provided data does not include exploit details or observed attacks.

Researcher notes

The public description is sparse: no CWE is listed and no safe processing failure mode is described. CVSS indicates authenticated, network-reachable, low-complexity exploitation with integrity-only impact. Avoid assuming confidentiality or availability risk beyond the published vector.

Mitigation direction

  • Review IBM advisory 6515530 for the applicable fix path.
  • Apply IBM-provided fixes or supported upgrades for affected deployments.
  • Restrict network access to SKLM interfaces to authorized administrators.
  • Review privileged and low-privileged account access to the service.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory IBM Security Key Lifecycle Manager instances and versions.
  • Compare deployed versions against the affected version list.
  • Confirm IBM advisory remediation is applied for each instance.
  • Review change controls and logs for unexpected key-management modifications.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
4

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

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CVE-2021-38972 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Medium
CVSS
4.3 (3.0)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.0/A:N/AV:N/UI:N/C:N/S:U/AC:L/I:L/PR:L/E:U/RC:C/RL:O

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

1CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
3Source links

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
4.3CVSS 3.0MediumCVSS:3.0/A:N/AV:N/UI:N/C:N/S:U/AC:L/I:L/PR:L/E:U/RC:C/RL:O2.81.4Primary CVE score

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.0 score

4.3Medium
CVSS 3.0 vector shape for CVE-2021-38972Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

Vector: CVSS:3.0/A:N/AV:N/UI:N/C:N/S:U/AC:L/I:L/PR:L/E:U/RC:C/RL:O

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
IBMSecurity Key Lifecycle Manager3.0, 3.0.1, 4.0, 3.0.0.4, 3.0.1.5, 4.0.0.3, 4.1.0.1, 4.1.1, 4.1.0Listed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.