# CVE-2016-9710: Path traversal in Cognos Business Intelligence

> Remote attackers can exploit a path traversal flaw in IBM Cognos BI to read sensitive local files via crafted URLs.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 7 Jun 2017
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5pv7-p9r3-2cwx

## What is CVE-2016-9710?

CVE-2016-9710 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in IBM Cognos Business Intelligence, published on 7 Jun 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM Predictive Solutions Foundation (formerly PMQ) could allow a remote attacker to include arbitrary files. A remote attacker could send a specially-crafted URL to specify a file from the local system, which could allow the attacker to obtain sensitive information. IBM X-Force ID: 119618.

Weakness: CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-9710?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Cognos Business Intelligence Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-9710?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-9710 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2016-9710 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-9710 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in IBM Cognos Business Intelligence

- [CVE-2017-1125](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-1125/): Information disclosure in Cognos Business Intelligence (low 3.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-9710 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-9710 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in IBM Cognos Business Intelligence, published on 7 Jun 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-9710 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM Cognos Business Intelligence. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-9710/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-9710/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-9710
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-9710
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-9710

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-9710/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.