# CVE-2021-20415: Security feature bypass in Guardium Data Encryption

> Inadequate account lockout settings in IBM Guardium Data Encryption allow remote attackers to brute force credentials and take over accounts.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.9 (`CVSS:3.0/A:N/AV:N/PR:N/AC:H/S:U/C:H/I:N/UI: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:** 7 Jul 2021
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-9g49-vh67-7f26

## What is CVE-2021-20415?

CVE-2021-20415 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM Guardium Data Encryption, published on 7 Jul 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM Guardium Data Encryption (GDE) 4.0.0.4 uses an inadequate account lockout setting that could allow a remote attacker to brute force account credentials. IBM X-Force ID: 196217.

Weakness: CWE-307 (Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-20415?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Guardium Data Encryption.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-20415?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-20415 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-20415 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-20415 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in IBM Guardium Data Encryption

- [CVE-2019-4713](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-4713/): Command injection in Security Guardium Data Encryption (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2019-4698](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-4698/): Weak cryptography in Security Guardium Data Encryption (high 7.4)
- [CVE-2019-4694](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-4694/): Hardcoded credentials in Security Guardium Data Encryption (medium 6.8)
- [CVE-2021-20474](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20474/): Missing authorization in Guardium Data Encryption (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2021-20378](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20378/): Auth bypass in Guardium Data Encryption (medium 6.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-20415 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-20415 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM Guardium Data Encryption, published on 7 Jul 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-2021-20415 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM Guardium Data Encryption. 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-2021-20415/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20415/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-20415
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-20415
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-20415

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20415/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.