CVE-2020-4626 in Cloud Pak for Security
Summary
by MITRE • 11/30/2020
IBM Cloud Pak for Security 1.3.0.1 (CP4S) could reveal sensitive information about the internal network to an authenticated user using a specially crafted HTTP request. IBM X-Force ID: 185362.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/11/2020
IBM Cloud Pak for Security version 1.3.0.1 contains a vulnerability that allows authenticated users to obtain sensitive internal network information through carefully constructed HTTP requests. This flaw represents a significant information disclosure vulnerability that could enable attackers with valid credentials to map internal network structures and potentially identify vulnerable systems within the organization's infrastructure. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the application's request handling mechanisms, allowing maliciously crafted requests to trigger unintended information leakage.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the application's failure to properly validate and sanitize HTTP request parameters, particularly those related to network addressing and internal system references. When an authenticated user submits a specially crafted request, the system processes these parameters without adequate filtering, potentially exposing internal IP addresses, network topology information, or other sensitive data that should remain confidential within the organization's secure environment. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and CWE-215, which addresses information exposure through hidden files or debug information. The vulnerability enables an attacker to gather intelligence that could facilitate further exploitation attempts against the internal network infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides adversaries with critical network mapping data that could be leveraged for subsequent attacks. An authenticated attacker could use the leaked information to identify network segments, internal service endpoints, or system configurations that would normally be hidden from external view. This intelligence gathering capability significantly reduces the attack surface and makes it easier for threat actors to plan targeted attacks against specific internal systems. The vulnerability affects organizations using IBM Cloud Pak for Security 1.3.0.1, potentially compromising the security posture of enterprises that rely on this platform for security operations and threat detection.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates for IBM Cloud Pak for Security 1.3.0.1 to address this vulnerability. Network segmentation and access controls should be reviewed to limit the scope of potential impact from authenticated users who might exploit this vulnerability. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious HTTP requests, enabling comprehensive logging and monitoring of application access patterns, and conducting regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability could be categorized under the information gathering phase of the kill chain and may support techniques related to network discovery and reconnaissance as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls to limit the potential damage from authenticated users who might exploit such information disclosure vulnerabilities.