CVE-2020-4749 Vulnerability Analysis & Exploit Details

CVE-2020-4749
Vulnerability Scoring

4.3
/10
Medium Risk

The vulnerability CVE-2020-4749 could compromise system integrity but typically requires user interaction to be exploited.

Attack Complexity Details

  • Attack Complexity: Low
    Exploits can be performed without significant complexity or special conditions.
  • Attack Vector: Network
    Vulnerability is exploitable over a network without physical access.
  • Privileges Required: None
    No privileges are required for exploitation.
  • Scope: Unchanged
    Exploit remains within the originally vulnerable component.
  • User Interaction: Required
    User interaction is necessary for successful exploitation.

CVE-2020-4749 Details

Status: Analyzed

Published on: 20 Oct 2020, 15:15 UTC

CVSS Release: version 3

CVSS3 Source

nvd@nist.gov

CVSS3 Type

Primary

CVSS3 Vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

CVE-2020-4749 Vulnerability Summary

CVE-2020-4749: IBM Spectrum Scale 5.0.0 through 5.0.5.2 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: 188518.

Assessing the Risk of CVE-2020-4749

Access Complexity Graph

The exploitability of CVE-2020-4749 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).

Exploitability Analysis for CVE-2020-4749

With low attack complexity and no required privileges, CVE-2020-4749 is an easy target for cybercriminals. Organizations should prioritize immediate mitigation measures to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.

Understanding AC and PR

A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.

Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.

Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.

CVSS Score Breakdown Chart

Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2020-4749, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.

CIA Impact Analysis

Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2020-4749, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.

  • Confidentiality: Low
    CVE-2020-4749 could lead to minor leaks of non-critical information without major privacy breaches.
  • Integrity: None
    CVE-2020-4749 poses no threat to data integrity.
  • Availability: None
    CVE-2020-4749 does not impact system availability.

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

The EPSS score estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the near future.

EPSS Score: 0.08% (probability of exploit)

EPSS Percentile: 37.39% (lower percentile = lower relative risk)
This vulnerability is less risky than approximately 62.61% of others.

CVE-2020-4749 References

External References

CWE Common Weakness Enumeration

CWE-565

CAPEC Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification

  • Session Credential Falsification through Manipulation CAPEC-226 An attacker manipulates an existing credential in order to gain access to a target application. Session credentials allow users to identify themselves to a service after an initial authentication without needing to resend the authentication information (usually a username and password) with every message. An attacker may be able to manipulate a credential sniffed from an existing connection in order to gain access to a target server.
  • Accessing/Intercepting/Modifying HTTP Cookies CAPEC-31 This attack relies on the use of HTTP Cookies to store credentials, state information and other critical data on client systems. There are several different forms of this attack. The first form of this attack involves accessing HTTP Cookies to mine for potentially sensitive data contained therein. The second form involves intercepting this data as it is transmitted from client to server. This intercepted information is then used by the adversary to impersonate the remote user/session. The third form is when the cookie's content is modified by the adversary before it is sent back to the server. Here the adversary seeks to convince the target server to operate on this falsified information.
  • Manipulating Opaque Client-based Data Tokens CAPEC-39 In circumstances where an application holds important data client-side in tokens (cookies, URLs, data files, and so forth) that data can be manipulated. If client or server-side application components reinterpret that data as authentication tokens or data (such as store item pricing or wallet information) then even opaquely manipulating that data may bear fruit for an Attacker. In this pattern an attacker undermines the assumption that client side tokens have been adequately protected from tampering through use of encryption or obfuscation.

Vulnerable Configurations

  • cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.1.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.1.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.2.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.2.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.3.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.3.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.4.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.4.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.4.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.4.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.4.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.4.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.5.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_scale:5.0.5.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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