CVE-2020-4618 in Data Risk Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Data Risk Manager (iDNA) 2.0.6 could allow a privileged user to cause a denial of service due to improper input validation. IBM X-Force ID: 184937.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/23/2020
IBM Data Risk Manager version 2.0.6 contains a vulnerability that enables a privileged user to trigger a denial of service condition through inadequate input validation mechanisms. This weakness falls under the category of improper input validation as defined by CWE-20, where the application fails to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied data before processing. The vulnerability specifically affects the system's ability to handle malformed or unexpected input, creating an avenue for malicious actors with elevated privileges to disrupt normal system operations.
The technical flaw manifests when a privileged user submits specially crafted input that bypasses validation checks within the application's processing pipeline. This allows the system to encounter unexpected data structures or malformed parameters that cause the application to crash or become unresponsive. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only privileged access to exploit, meaning that attackers who have already gained administrative credentials or elevated privileges can leverage this weakness to cause significant operational disruption. The denial of service condition can result in complete system unavailability, preventing legitimate users from accessing critical data risk management functionalities.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses substantial risks to organizations relying on IBM Data Risk Manager for critical data governance and risk assessment activities. The denial of service impact can disrupt business continuity, particularly in environments where data risk management is essential for regulatory compliance and security monitoring. The vulnerability affects the availability aspect of the CIA triad, potentially compromising an organization's ability to monitor and respond to data risks effectively. Organizations may experience extended downtime while system administrators work to restore services, and the disruption can cascade into broader operational impacts across dependent systems that rely on data risk management insights.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation controls and strengthening access controls to limit privileged user activities. Organizations should apply the latest security patches provided by IBM to address this vulnerability. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns of privileged user activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which covers network denial of service attacks, and CWE-20 represents the underlying weakness that enables such attacks. Additional defensive measures include implementing robust logging and monitoring for privileged user activities, conducting regular security assessments, and ensuring proper user access management to minimize the attack surface. Organizations should also consider implementing application-level firewalls and input sanitization mechanisms to provide additional layers of protection against similar vulnerabilities.