CVE-2024-40686 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 is vulnerable to HTTP header injection, caused by improper validation of input by the HOST headers. This could allow an attacker to conduct various attacks against the vulnerable system, including cross-site scripting, cache poisoning or session hijacking.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/07/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-40686 affects IBM SmartCloud Analytics - Log Analysis versions 1.3.7.0 through 1.3.8.2, representing a critical HTTP header injection flaw that stems from inadequate input validation within the HOST header processing mechanism. This vulnerability resides in the application's handling of HTTP headers, specifically targeting the HOST header field which is commonly used by web applications to determine the target host for requests. The flaw allows attackers to inject malicious content into HTTP headers, potentially compromising the security posture of the affected system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic input validation failure where the application does not properly sanitize or validate the HOST header content before processing it within the application logic. When the application processes HTTP requests with malformed or malicious HOST headers, it fails to strip or encode special characters that could be interpreted as part of the HTTP protocol. This weakness enables attackers to inject additional headers or manipulate existing header values, creating opportunities for various attack vectors. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because HOST headers are often used in application logic for redirect operations, session management, and access control decisions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple injection attacks and creates a comprehensive threat landscape for compromised systems. Attackers can leverage this weakness to conduct cross-site scripting attacks by injecting malicious script code into HTTP headers that are later processed by client browsers, potentially compromising user sessions and data. Cache poisoning becomes possible when malicious headers are injected into the application's caching mechanisms, allowing attackers to serve malicious content to multiple users. Session hijacking attacks can also be facilitated through header manipulation, where attackers intercept or manipulate session identifiers passed through HOST headers. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where IBM SmartCloud Analytics - Log Analysis is used for critical log processing and monitoring activities, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate or corrupt log data.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-113 - Improper Neutralization of CRLF Sequences in HTTP Headers, which is a well-documented weakness in web application security. The attack surface aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1190 - Exploit Public-Facing Application and T1566 - Phishing, as attackers may use this vulnerability to deliver malicious payloads through compromised headers. The vulnerability also relates to T1212 - Exploitation for Credential Access when session hijacking occurs, and T1571 - Modify HTTP Headers, which describes the specific technique of manipulating HTTP header values. Organizations using affected versions should consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring for unusual header patterns as part of their defensive posture.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected IBM SmartCloud Analytics - Log Analysis installations to the latest available versions that address the HTTP header validation issues. Network-level defenses including web application firewalls and HTTP header filtering should be implemented to detect and block malformed HOST headers. Input validation controls should be strengthened at the application level to sanitize all header values before processing, particularly focusing on removing or encoding characters that could enable header injection attacks. Regular security monitoring should include inspection of HTTP header values for suspicious patterns, and organizations should implement logging controls to track header manipulation attempts. Additionally, access controls should be reviewed to ensure that only authorized systems can make requests to the vulnerable application, reducing the attack surface for potential exploitation.