CVE-2020-5019 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

IBM Spectrum Protect Plus versions 10.1.0 through 10.1.6 are vulnerable to HTTP header injection, potentially allowing remote attackers to conduct various attacks.

Understanding CVE-2020-5019

IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 10.1.0 through 10.1.6 is susceptible to HTTP header injection due to inadequate input validation of HOST headers.

What is CVE-2020-5019?

The vulnerability in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus versions 10.1.0 through 10.1.6 allows remote attackers to inject HTTP HOST headers through specially crafted requests.
Attackers can exploit this to perform cross-site scripting, cache poisoning, or session hijacking.

The Impact of CVE-2020-5019

CVSS Base Score: 6.5 (Medium Severity)
Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Confidentiality Impact: Low
Integrity Impact: Low
Availability Impact: None
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Exploit Code Maturity: Unproven
Remediation Level: Official Fix
Report Confidence: Confirmed

Technical Details of CVE-2020-5019

IBM Spectrum Protect Plus vulnerability details

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from improper validation of input by HOST headers.

Affected Systems and Versions

IBM Spectrum Protect Plus versions 10.1.0 through 10.1.6

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted HTTP request to inject HTTP HOST headers.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting against CVE-2020-5019

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply official fixes provided by IBM to address the vulnerability.
Monitor for any unusual activities on the network.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch software to prevent vulnerabilities.
Implement network security measures to detect and block malicious traffic.
Educate users on safe browsing practices and awareness of social engineering tactics.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is updated to the latest version to mitigate the HTTP header injection vulnerability.