CVE-2023-38276 in Cognos Dashboards on Cloud Pak for Data
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
IBM Cognos Dashboards on Cloud Pak for Data 4.7.0 exposes sensitive information in environment variables which could aid in further attacks against the system. IBM X-Force ID: 260736.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2023
IBM Cognos Dashboards running within the Cloud Pak for Data 4.7.0 environment contains a vulnerability that allows unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information through exposed environment variables. This flaw represents a critical security oversight where system credentials, API keys, and other confidential data are inadvertently accessible to users with minimal privileges. The vulnerability stems from improper configuration management where sensitive parameters are stored in environment variable containers rather than being properly secured or encrypted. Attackers can leverage this exposure to gain insights into the underlying system architecture and potentially escalate their privileges to compromise the entire platform. This issue aligns with CWE-200, which addresses the improper exposure of sensitive information, and represents a significant concern for organizations relying on cloud-based analytics platforms. The vulnerability creates an attack surface that could enable adversaries to perform reconnaissance activities and identify potential targets for further exploitation within the Cloud Pak for Data ecosystem. The exposure of environment variables containing authentication tokens and database connection strings provides attackers with critical information needed to conduct more sophisticated attacks. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability undermines the security posture of organizations using IBM Cognos Dashboards, as it allows for lateral movement within the network and potential access to additional systems that share similar credential structures. The impact extends beyond immediate information disclosure, as compromised environment variables may reveal network topology details and service configurations that could be used in subsequent attack phases. This vulnerability directly relates to ATT&CK technique T1552.001, which focuses on unsecured credentials, and T1083, which covers file and directory discovery. Organizations should immediately implement proper environment variable management protocols and ensure that sensitive data is not stored in plain text within containerized environments. The remediation process requires comprehensive review of all environment variable configurations, implementation of secure credential management systems, and regular security assessments to prevent similar exposures in other components of the Cloud Pak for Data platform. Proper implementation of secrets management solutions and adherence to zero-trust security principles would significantly reduce the risk associated with this vulnerability and protect against future similar exposures.