CVE-2024-40682 in SmartCloud Analytics Log Analysis
Summary
by MITRE • 07/23/2025
IBM SmartCloud Analytics - Log Analysis 1.3.7.0, 1.3.7.1, 1.3.7.2, 1.3.8.0, 1.3.8.1, and 1.3.8.2 could allow a local user to cause a denial of service due to improper validation of specified type of input.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/07/2025
IBM SmartCloud Analytics Log Analysis versions 1.3.7.0 through 1.3.8.2 contain a vulnerability that permits local users to trigger denial of service conditions through inadequate input validation mechanisms. This flaw resides in the application's handling of specified input types, where the system fails to properly validate the nature and format of data provided by users. The vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization and validation routines that process user-supplied data, allowing malicious or malformed inputs to bypass normal processing checks. When such unvalidated input reaches critical processing components, it can cause the application to crash or become unresponsive, effectively denying service to legitimate users who rely on the analytics platform for log analysis and monitoring activities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation as a fundamental weakness in software design. This weakness creates conditions where applications fail to adequately check the integrity, format, or type of user-provided data before processing. The vulnerability manifests when local users exploit this gap by submitting specially crafted inputs that either exceed expected data boundaries or contain unexpected data structures that the application cannot properly handle. The impact extends beyond simple application instability as the denial of service can disrupt critical log analysis workflows, potentially masking security incidents or preventing administrators from accessing vital system monitoring information during incident response activities.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant risk to organizations relying on IBM SmartCloud Analytics for their security monitoring and compliance reporting. The local user access requirement means that an attacker would need to have local system access, but this access level is often sufficient to cause substantial disruption within enterprise environments where multiple users may have local privileges. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the log analysis platform, potentially compromising the integrity of security operations by preventing proper log processing and analysis. This disruption can have cascading effects on incident response procedures, compliance auditing, and overall security posture monitoring capabilities. The impact is particularly concerning given that log analysis systems often serve as critical components in detecting and responding to security threats.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest available patches from IBM that address the input validation issues in the affected versions. System administrators should also consider implementing additional access controls to limit local user privileges and monitor for unusual input patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be enhanced to detect potential denial of service conditions affecting the analytics platform. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499 which covers network denial of service attacks. Regular security assessments and code reviews focusing on input validation mechanisms should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other applications within the organization's infrastructure.