CVE-2019-4175 in Cognos Controller
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Cognos Controller 10.3.0, 10.3.1, 10.4.0, and 10.4.1 uses weaker than expected cryptographic algorithms that could allow an attacker to decrypt highly sensitive information. IBM X-Force ID: 158880.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/26/2023
IBM Cognos Controller versions 10.3.0 through 10.4.1 contain a cryptographic weakness that significantly undermines the security of sensitive data protection mechanisms. This vulnerability stems from the application's implementation of cryptographic algorithms that fall below expected security standards, creating potential attack vectors for adversaries seeking to access confidential business intelligence and financial data. The flaw specifically affects the encryption protocols used within the controller's data handling processes, particularly when storing or transmitting sensitive financial information. Organizations utilizing these affected versions face substantial risk as attackers could potentially exploit this weakness to decrypt confidential data without proper authorization, compromising the integrity and confidentiality of their business analytics environments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the use of deprecated or insufficiently strong cryptographic primitives that do not meet contemporary security requirements. According to CWE classification, this represents a weakness in cryptographic implementation where the system employs algorithms with known vulnerabilities or reduced security strength. The affected versions demonstrate poor cryptographic hygiene by not implementing industry-standard encryption methods such as AES-256 with proper key management practices. The vulnerability creates a path for attackers to potentially recover plaintext data from encrypted storage or network communications, particularly when dealing with financial reporting and controller data that typically contains highly sensitive business information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it fundamentally compromises the trust model within IBM Cognos Controller environments. Organizations relying on these versions face potential regulatory compliance issues, especially in industries governed by financial reporting standards such as SOX, GDPR, or PCI DSS requirements. Attackers leveraging this weakness could potentially access detailed financial forecasts, budget allocations, revenue projections, and other strategic business intelligence that would be valuable for competitive advantage or financial fraud. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for insider threat exploitation, where malicious actors with limited access could escalate their privileges through cryptographic data recovery techniques. This risk is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where controller data often contains information about organizational performance, strategic initiatives, and confidential business operations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention through patch management and cryptographic protocol updates. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to IBM Cognos Controller versions that address the cryptographic weakness and implement proper key rotation policies. The remediation process should include comprehensive review of existing encrypted data and implementation of stronger cryptographic standards such as AES-256 encryption with secure key management practices. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be enhanced to limit exposure even if cryptographic protections are compromised. Security monitoring should be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts, and organizations should consider conducting cryptographic assessments to identify any remaining vulnerabilities in their data protection infrastructure. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.001 for unsecured credentials and T1005 for data from local systems, emphasizing the need for comprehensive defensive measures beyond simple patching.