CVE-2020-4815 in Cloud Pak for Security
Summary
by MITRE • 01/28/2021
IBM Cloud Pak for Security (CP4S) 1.4.0.0 could allow a remote user to obtain sensitive information from HTTP response headers that could be used in further attacks against the system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/20/2021
IBM Cloud Pak for Security version 1.4.0.0 contains a vulnerability that exposes sensitive information through HTTP response headers, creating potential attack vectors for remote adversaries. This issue stems from improper handling of security-related headers in the web application framework, allowing attackers to extract confidential data that should remain protected. The vulnerability affects the system's ability to maintain proper security boundaries and can be exploited by malicious actors without requiring authentication or privileged access.
The technical flaw manifests as information disclosure through HTTP response headers that contain sensitive metadata about the underlying system architecture, software versions, or internal configurations. This exposure occurs when the application fails to properly sanitize or remove security-sensitive information from response headers before transmitting them to client systems. Attackers can leverage this information to build more targeted attacks, potentially identifying system weaknesses, version-specific exploits, or internal network structures that would otherwise remain hidden. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses the improper exposure of sensitive information, and represents a classic case of information disclosure that undermines the principle of least privilege and system confidentiality.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information gathering, as the disclosed headers can provide attackers with critical intelligence for advanced persistent threats. An attacker could use the exposed information to craft more sophisticated attacks, potentially leading to privilege escalation, lateral movement within the network, or exploitation of other system vulnerabilities. The remote nature of this vulnerability means that attackers can exploit it from outside the network perimeter, making it particularly dangerous for cloud-based deployments where external access is common. This exposure directly impacts the security posture of organizations using CP4S, potentially enabling attackers to bypass security controls that rely on the assumption that system internals remain unknown to external parties.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including proper header sanitization, enabling security-focused HTTP response configurations, and conducting thorough security reviews of all application headers. The remediation process should involve configuring the web server or application framework to remove or obscure sensitive information from HTTP responses, implementing security headers such as X-Content-Type-Options and X-Frame-Options, and ensuring that system information is not exposed through response headers. Additionally, regular security testing and monitoring of HTTP response headers should be implemented to detect any potential leakage of sensitive information. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following security best practices in web application development and the critical need for proper header management as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks.