CVE-2020-4805 in Edge
Summary
by MITRE • 09/24/2021
IBM Edge 4.2 allows web pages to be stored locally which can be read by another user on the system. IBM X-Force ID: 189539.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/01/2021
This vulnerability exists within IBM Edge 4.2 software where web pages are stored locally on the system in a manner that fails to properly isolate user data. The flaw stems from inadequate access controls and file system permissions that allow one user to read files created by another user. This represents a classic privilege escalation and data exposure issue that violates fundamental security principles of user isolation and data confidentiality. The vulnerability creates an attack surface where malicious actors or compromised user accounts could potentially access sensitive information stored by other system users.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves the local storage mechanism used by the IBM Edge 4.2 application to cache web content and user data. When web pages are stored locally, the application does not properly enforce user-specific access controls or file permissions that would prevent cross-user data access. This type of vulnerability is categorized under CWE-284 - Improper Access Control, which specifically addresses insufficient access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized users to access resources they should not be able to reach. The flaw demonstrates poor secure coding practices where the application assumes that local storage operations will inherently provide proper user isolation without explicit permission management.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks. An attacker who gains access to a system could leverage this flaw to read cached web pages, session data, cookies, or other sensitive information stored by other users. This could lead to session hijacking, credential theft, or exposure of private communications and business data. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in multi-user environments where different users may have varying levels of access and sensitivity to their data. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability aligns with T1074 - Data Staged, where adversaries stage collected data in a way that allows them to access it later. The impact is compounded by the fact that this is a local storage issue that may not be immediately visible to system administrators or security monitoring tools.
Organizations using IBM Edge 4.2 should implement immediate mitigations including proper file system permission settings, user isolation enforcement, and regular security audits of local storage mechanisms. System administrators should review and tighten access controls on local storage directories, implement proper user namespace separation, and consider deploying additional monitoring to detect unauthorized access patterns. The vulnerability also highlights the need for comprehensive application security testing including secure coding practices, permission testing, and user isolation validation. Organizations should ensure that all local storage operations properly implement access control lists and file system permissions that prevent cross-user data access. Additionally, regular security patches and updates from IBM should be applied promptly to address this and related vulnerabilities in the Edge platform.