CVE-2020-4956 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

IBM Spectrum Protect Operations Center 7.1 and 8.1 is vulnerable to a denial of service attack due to a flaw in RPC, allowing remote attackers to exhaust memory resources.

Understanding CVE-2020-4956

IBM Spectrum Protect Operations Center versions 7.1 and 8.1 are susceptible to a denial of service vulnerability that could be exploited by malicious actors.

What is CVE-2020-4956?

The vulnerability in IBM Spectrum Protect Operations Center allows attackers to consume all memory resources by manipulating cache values.

The Impact of CVE-2020-4956

Attackers can exploit this flaw remotely to cause a denial of service, potentially disrupting operations and services.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-4956

The technical aspects of the vulnerability are as follows:

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from a flaw in RPC that permits the setting and dumping of cache values to a file.

Affected Systems and Versions

IBM Spectrum Protect Operations Center versions 7.1, 8.1, 8.1.10.100, and 7.1.12 are impacted.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can set excessively large cache values and dump them to a file multiple times to exhaust memory resources.

Mitigation and Prevention

Steps to address and prevent the vulnerability:

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply official fixes provided by IBM to mitigate the vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and update systems to prevent potential exploitation.
Implement network security measures to detect and block malicious activities.

Patching and Updates

Ensure all systems running IBM Spectrum Protect Operations Center are updated with the latest patches and security fixes.