# CVE-2021-20450: IBM Cognos Controller information disclosure

> Attackers can steal session cookies via insecure HTTP links, potentially leading to account takeover in IBM Cognos Controller.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 3 May 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Dec 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-wvrv-rpq3-gjq6

## What is CVE-2021-20450?

CVE-2021-20450 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Ibm Cognos Controller, published on 3 May 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

IBM Cognos Controller 10.4.1, 10.4.2, and 11.0.0 does not set the secure attribute on authorization tokens or session cookies. Attackers may be able to get the cookie values by sending a http:// link to a user or by planting this link in a site the user goes to. The cookie will be sent to the insecure link and the attacker can then obtain the cookie value by snooping the traffic.  IBM X-Force ID:  196640.

Weakness: CWE-565 (Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-20450?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Cognos Controller.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-20450?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-20450 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-20450 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-20450 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Ibm Cognos Controller

- [CVE-2024-28777](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-28777/): IBM Cognos Controller code execution (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2024-52902](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-52902/): IBM Cognos Controller information disclosure (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2023-47160](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-47160/): IBM Cognos Controller XML external entity injection (high 8.2)
- [CVE-2024-40702](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-40702/): IBM Cognos Controller improper certificate validation (high 8.2)
- [CVE-2024-45084](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-45084/): IBM Cognos Controller CSV injection (high 8.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-20450 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-20450 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Ibm Cognos Controller, published on 3 May 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-20450 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Ibm Cognos Controller. 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-2021-20450/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20450/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-20450
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-20450
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-20450

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20450/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.