CVE-2024-56344 in Cognos Analytics
Summary
by MITRE • 09/18/2026
IBM Cognos Analytics 12.0.4 through 12.0.4 FP2, and 12.1.0 through 12.1.3 FP1 could allow a remote attacker to obtain sensitive information, caused by the failure to properly enable HTTP Strict Transport Security. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to obtain sensitive information using man in the middle techniques.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/18/2026
The identified security deficiency resides within IBM Cognos Analytics versions 12.0.4 through 12.0.4 FP2 and 12.1.0 through 12.1.3 FP1, specifically concerning the implementation of transport layer security mechanisms. The core technical flaw is a failure to properly enable HTTP Strict Transport Security, commonly referred to as HSTS. This configuration oversight means that the application does not instruct web browsers or client applications to exclusively communicate over secure HTTPS connections for future requests. In standard web architecture, when an initial connection is made via unencrypted HTTP, there exists a window of opportunity where data can be intercepted before any encryption handshake occurs. By omitting the HSTS header in server responses, IBM Cognos Analytics fails to enforce this critical security policy, leaving the communication channel vulnerable to downgrade attacks and protocol manipulation during the initial interaction phase.
The operational impact of this vulnerability centers on the potential for unauthorized access to sensitive information through man-in-the-middle techniques. An attacker positioned within the network path between a client and the IBM Cognos Analytics server can exploit the lack of HSTS enforcement by intercepting unencrypted HTTP requests. Once the connection is established over plain text, the attacker can perform traffic analysis or actively modify data in transit without detection. This capability allows for the extraction of confidential business intelligence reports, user credentials, session tokens, and other proprietary data processed by the analytics platform. The severity is heightened because IBM Cognos Analytics typically handles high-value organizational data, making any breach of confidentiality a significant risk to enterprise integrity and compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA if applicable health data is involved.
From an industry standards perspective, this vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-319, which classifies the use of cleartext transmission of sensitive information without encryption. The absence of HSTS also relates to CWE-649, involving reliance on redirect or upgrade for security, as the system does not proactively enforce secure transport but rather relies on implicit assumptions about client behavior. In terms of attack vectors and tactics, this flaw facilitates activities categorized under MITRE ATT&CK technique T1072, which covers software exploitation via unencrypted channels, and supports man-in-the-middle attacks described in tactic TA0040, representing Impact through data interception. The vulnerability essentially undermines the confidentiality pillar of the CIA triad by allowing adversaries to eavesdrop on communications that should be protected from such observation.
To mitigate this risk, administrators must ensure that IBM Cognos Analytics is configured to enforce HTTPS for all connections and explicitly include the HTTP Strict-Transport-Security header in server responses. This configuration instructs clients to remember that they should only connect via secure channels for a specified duration, thereby preventing downgrade attacks on subsequent visits. Additionally, organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers with strict transport security directives and ensure that any reverse proxies or load balancers preceding the application are also configured to enforce TLS 1.2 or higher protocols. Regular vulnerability scanning and configuration audits against benchmarks such as CIS IBM Cognos Analytics Benchmark can help identify these misconfigurations early. It is imperative to apply the latest service packs provided by IBM, which may include updated default configurations that address this oversight, while simultaneously verifying server-side settings to guarantee end-to-end encryption for all data in transit.