CVE-2024-45084
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in IBM Cognos Controller allows authenticated attackers to perform formula injection attacks by manipulating file contents. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary command execution on affected systems. Organizations running IBM Cognos Controller 11.0.0 through 11.0.1 FP3 or IBM Controller 11.1.0 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- IBM Cognos Controller
- IBM Controller
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise allowing attacker to execute arbitrary commands with application privileges, potentially leading to data theft, system takeover, or lateral movement.
Likely Case
Attacker gains unauthorized access to sensitive financial data, modifies reports, or disrupts financial consolidation processes.
If Mitigated
Attack prevented through proper input validation and file content sanitization, limiting impact to failed injection attempts.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access and knowledge of file manipulation techniques. No public exploits available at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Apply fix as specified in IBM advisory
Vendor Advisory: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7183597
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Review IBM advisory at provided URL. 2. Download and apply the appropriate fix for your version. 3. Test the patch in non-production environment first. 4. Deploy to production systems during maintenance window.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict file upload functionality
allLimit file upload capabilities to trusted users and implement strict file type validation
Implement input validation
allAdd server-side validation for all file content processing operations
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network segmentation to isolate IBM Controller systems from critical infrastructure
- Enforce principle of least privilege for all application accounts and service accounts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check IBM Controller version via administrative console or version files in installation directoryCheck Version:
Check version in IBM Controller web interface or review installation logsVerify Fix Applied:
Verify patch installation through IBM Controller administrative interface and test file upload functionality📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual file upload patterns
- Failed formula validation attempts
- Unexpected command execution in application logs
Network Indicators:
- Suspicious file transfers to IBM Controller systems
- Unusual outbound connections from application servers
SIEM Query:
source="ibm_controller" AND (event="file_upload" OR event="formula_processing") AND status="failed"