# CVE-2020-4561: Missing authorization in Cognos Analytics

> Remote attackers can read and write files on IBM Cognos Analytics systems via unauthenticated DQM API requests.

- **Severity:** Critical 10.0 (`CVSS:3.0/PR:N/C:H/I:H/S:C/AC:L/A:H/UI:N/AV:N/RL:O/E:U/RC:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 31 May 2021
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-fxr3-fx97-4wpc

## What is CVE-2020-4561?

CVE-2020-4561 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in Ibm Cognos Analytics, published on 31 May 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM Cognos Analytics 11.0 and 11.1 DQM API allows submitting of all control requests in unauthenticated sessions. This allows a remote attacker who can access a valid CA endpoint to read and write files to the Cognos Analytics system. IBM X-Force ID: 183903.

Weakness: CWE-829 (Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-4561?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Ibm Cognos Analytics, Netapp Oncommand Insight.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-4561?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-4561 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-4561 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-4561 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Ibm Cognos Analytics

- [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)
- [CVE-2020-4300](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4300/): XML external entity in Cognos Analytics (high 8.2)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-4561 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-4561 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in Ibm Cognos Analytics, published on 31 May 2021. 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-2020-4561 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-2020-4561/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4561/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-4561
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-4561
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-4561

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4561/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.