CVE-2013-5444 in Cognos Express
Summary
by MITRE
The server in IBM Cognos Express 9.0 before IFIX 2, 9.5 before IFIX 2, 10.1 before IFIX 2, and 10.2.1 before FP1 allows remote attackers to read encrypted credentials via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/09/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-5444 affects IBM Cognos Express versions prior to specific maintenance fixes, representing a critical information disclosure flaw that undermines the security posture of business intelligence platforms. This vulnerability specifically impacts the server component of IBM Cognos Express, a business intelligence and reporting tool widely used in enterprise environments for data analysis and dashboard creation. The flaw exists in versions 9.0 before IFIX 2, 9.5 before IFIX 2, 10.1 before IFIX 2, and 10.2.1 before FP1, indicating a prolonged period of exposure across multiple major releases. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to extract encrypted credentials through unspecified attack vectors, potentially compromising authentication mechanisms and sensitive data access controls.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate protection mechanisms within the IBM Cognos Express server implementation, where encrypted credential storage or transmission processes fail to properly secure sensitive authentication data. This weakness creates an avenue for unauthorized remote access to credential information that should remain protected from external inspection. The unspecified vectors suggest that the vulnerability may be exploitable through multiple attack paths including network-based reconnaissance, malformed requests, or improper access control implementations within the server component. Such credentials could potentially include database connection strings, user authentication tokens, or other sensitive authentication material that would enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to underlying data sources and system resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential exposure, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity of the authentication system within IBM Cognos Express deployments. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability could potentially access sensitive business intelligence data, manipulate reporting dashboards, or gain access to underlying databases that the system connects to for data retrieval. This exposure creates cascading security risks where compromised credentials might be used to escalate privileges within the broader enterprise network or to access additional systems that share authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely on Cognos Express for critical business reporting and analytics, as the exposure of encrypted credentials could lead to unauthorized data access, regulatory compliance violations, and potential financial losses.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of the specified IFIX and FP patches provided by IBM, as these updates contain the necessary security fixes to address the credential disclosure mechanism. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive vulnerability scanning to identify all affected systems, followed by coordinated patch deployment across all impacted versions. Security teams should also implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish enhanced access controls around the Cognos Express server components. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and represents a significant concern under NIST SP 800-53 controls related to access control and information protection. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1566 (Phishing) and T1078 (Valid Accounts) as attackers could leverage exposed credentials for persistent access. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and additional authentication layers to reduce the potential blast radius of such credential exposure events.