# CVE-2020-4302: Code injection in Cognos Analytics

> Remote attackers can execute arbitrary code by tricking users into opening malicious CSV files in IBM Cognos Analytics.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.0/UI:R/I:L/S:U/C:L/A:L/PR:L/AV:N/AC:L/RC:C/E:U/RL:O`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 12 Oct 2020
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-ph7h-74xq-935c

## What is CVE-2020-4302?

CVE-2020-4302 is a medium-severity code injection vulnerability in Ibm Cognos Analytics, published on 12 Oct 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

IBM Cognos Analytics 11.0 and 11.1 could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the system, caused by a CSV injection. By persuading a victim to open a specially-crafted excel file, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on the system. IBM X-Force ID: 176610.

Weakness: CWE-1236 (Improper Neutralization of Formula Elements in a CSV File)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-4302?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Cognos Analytics.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-4302?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-4302 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-4302 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-4302 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Ibm Cognos Analytics

- [CVE-2020-4561](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4561/): Missing authorization in Cognos Analytics (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2024-51466](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-51466/): IBM Cognos Analytics expression language injection (critical 9.0)
- [CVE-2021-29679](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-29679/): Code injection in Cognos Analytics (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2024-25047](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-25047/): IBM Cognos Analytics log injection (high 8.6)
- [CVE-2018-1721](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-1721/): IBM Cognos Analytics 11.0 and 11.1 is vulnerable to a XML External Entity Injection (XXE) attack when processing XML data. (high 8.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-4302 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-4302 is a medium-severity code injection vulnerability in Ibm Cognos Analytics, published on 12 Oct 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-4302 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Ibm Cognos Analytics. 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-2020-4302/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4302/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-4302
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-4302
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-4302

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4302/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.