CVE-2019-4471 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

IBM Cognos Analytics versions 11.0 and 11.1 are affected by a vulnerability that could allow a remote attacker to retrieve sensitive information due to the failure to enable the secure flag for a specific cookie in an HTTPS session.

Understanding CVE-2019-4471

This CVE involves a security issue in IBM Cognos Analytics versions 11.0 and 11.1 that could potentially lead to the exposure of sensitive information to remote attackers.

What is CVE-2019-4471?

The vulnerability in IBM Cognos Analytics versions 11.0 and 11.1 arises from the absence of the secure flag for a critical cookie during an HTTPS session. This oversight could be exploited by malicious actors to access sensitive data.

The Impact of CVE-2019-4471

The vulnerability poses a medium severity risk with a CVSS base score of 5.3. If exploited, it could result in the unauthorized retrieval of confidential information by remote attackers.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-4471

This section delves into the specifics of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The failure to set the secure flag for a sensitive cookie in an HTTPS session in IBM Cognos Analytics 11.0 and 11.1 could allow remote attackers to access sensitive information.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Cognos Analytics
Vendor: IBM
Versions Affected: 11.0, 11.1

Exploitation Mechanism

Attack Complexity: High
Attack Vector: Network
Confidentiality Impact: High
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Exploit Code Maturity: Unproven
Remediation Level: Official Fix
Vector String: CVSS:3.0/PR:L/C:H/I:N/S:U/AC:H/A:N/UI:N/AV:N/RC:C/E:U/RL:O

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2019-4471 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply official fixes provided by IBM to address the vulnerability.
Monitor for any unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch IBM Cognos Analytics to prevent security vulnerabilities.
Implement secure coding practices to mitigate similar risks in the future.
Conduct regular security assessments and audits to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.
Educate users on best practices for data protection and secure browsing.
Utilize network security measures to detect and prevent unauthorized access.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that all systems running IBM Cognos Analytics versions 11.0 and 11.1 are updated with the official fix provided by IBM to mitigate the vulnerability.