CVE-2019-4411 in Cognos Controller
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Cognos Controller 10.3.0, 10.3.1, 10.4.0, and 10.4.1 could allow an authenticated user to obtain sensitive information due to easy to guess session identifier names. IBM X-Force ID: 162658.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/11/2024
IBM Cognos Controller versions 10.3.0 through 10.4.1 contain a security vulnerability that affects session management mechanisms and could potentially allow authenticated users to access sensitive information through predictable session identifier names. This vulnerability falls under the category of weak session management and information disclosure issues that can compromise the confidentiality of user sessions and potentially lead to unauthorized access to corporate data. The flaw specifically relates to the predictability of session identifiers, making them susceptible to session hijacking attacks where malicious actors could exploit the easily guessable naming conventions to gain unauthorized access to active user sessions.
The technical implementation of session management in these IBM Cognos Controller versions demonstrates a critical weakness in entropy generation for session tokens. When session identifiers follow predictable patterns or use insufficient randomness, they become vulnerable to brute force attacks and session prediction techniques. This weakness directly impacts the authentication and authorization mechanisms that rely on session tokens to maintain user context and access controls. The vulnerability is classified as a weakness in session management and can be categorized under CWE-307, which addresses inadequate session management practices. The predictable nature of session identifiers creates an attack surface that allows adversaries to potentially guess valid session tokens and impersonate legitimate users within the system.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations using IBM Cognos Controller for financial reporting, planning, and analysis functions. The potential impact includes unauthorized access to sensitive financial data, manipulation of business intelligence reports, and possible elevation of privileges within the application. Attackers could exploit this weakness to monitor user activities, access confidential business information, or even perform fraudulent transactions through the compromised sessions. The vulnerability affects authenticated users specifically, meaning that legitimate users who are already logged into the system become vulnerable to session hijacking attacks. This threat is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where financial data and business-critical information are processed through these applications, as it could lead to substantial financial losses and regulatory compliance violations.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of IBM Cognos Controller, implementing stronger session token generation mechanisms, and ensuring proper session management configurations. The recommended approach involves applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates that address the predictable session identifier generation. Additionally, organizations should review their session management policies and implement proper session timeout mechanisms, enforce secure session cookie attributes, and consider implementing additional authentication controls such as multi-factor authentication. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to industry standards like those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect potential session hijacking attempts and establish incident response procedures for handling such security events. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of robust session management in enterprise applications and the need for continuous security assessments and updates to protect against evolving threats.