CVE-2020-4670 in Planning Analytics
Summary
by MITRE • 05/17/2021
IBM Planning Analytics Local 2.0 connects to a Redis server. The Redis server, an in-memory data structure store, running on the remote host is not protected by password authentication. A remote attacker can exploit this to gain unauthorized access to the server. IBM X-Force ID: 186401.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/20/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-4670 affects IBM Planning Analytics Local 2.0, a business intelligence and planning solution that relies on Redis server infrastructure for data persistence and caching operations. This configuration exposes a critical security weakness where the Redis server component operates without any form of authentication mechanism, creating an unsecured entry point that allows any remote attacker to establish connections and interact with the database system. The Redis server serves as a fundamental component within the IBM Planning Analytics ecosystem, handling sensitive business data and operational information that organizations depend upon for strategic decision making and planning processes.
The technical flaw stems from the absence of password authentication mechanisms within the Redis server configuration, which violates fundamental security principles outlined in the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Top Ten and the Center for Internet Security (CIS) benchmarks for database security. This vulnerability represents a classic example of insecure default configurations where the Redis server is deployed with minimal security controls, allowing unrestricted access to the underlying data store. The lack of authentication means that any network-accessible Redis instance can be exploited through simple network connections, making this a particularly dangerous flaw that requires no specialized knowledge or advanced techniques to compromise. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-312 (CWE: Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and CWE-798 (CWE: Use of Hard-coded Credentials) when considering the default unauthenticated state of the Redis server.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with complete control over the Redis database server and potentially exposes sensitive business planning data, financial forecasts, operational metrics, and strategic information that organizations rely upon for decision making. Attackers can perform various malicious activities including data exfiltration, data manipulation, privilege escalation, and potentially use the compromised Redis server as a pivot point for further attacks within the network infrastructure. This vulnerability creates a significant risk for organizations using IBM Planning Analytics Local 2.0, as it could lead to intellectual property theft, financial data compromise, operational disruption, and potential compliance violations under regulations such as gdpr, hipaa, and soc 2. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that Redis servers are often deployed in environments where they are accessible over networks, and the lack of authentication makes this vulnerability exploitable from anywhere on the internet.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security hardening measures. Organizations should implement strong authentication mechanisms by configuring Redis to require password authentication through the use of the requirepass directive in the redis.conf configuration file. Network-level protections including firewall rules, network segmentation, and restricting access to the Redis server port (typically 6379) to specific trusted IP addresses should be implemented. The principle of least privilege must be enforced by ensuring that Redis server instances are not accessible from untrusted networks and that administrative access is protected through multi-factor authentication. Additionally, regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate similar insecure configurations across the organization's infrastructure. The remediation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK framework's defense in depth strategies, specifically addressing techniques related to credential access and privilege escalation while implementing network security controls to prevent unauthorized access to critical data stores. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized access attempts and establish incident response procedures for potential exploitation of this vulnerability.