CVE-2020-4561Network attack vector

Unauthenticated file access via DQM control requests

Published May 31, 2021 · Updated Sep 17, 2024

Authentication bypass in IBM Cognos Analytics 11.0 and 11.1 allows remote attackers to read and write server files through the DQM API. The DQM API accepts all control requests in unauthenticated sessions instead of enforcing session authentication. Access to a valid Cognos Analytics endpoint is sufficient, and successful requests can disclose or modify filesystem data.

CVSS severity10.0
Critical
EPSS probability2.94%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Authentication bypass in IBM Cognos Analytics 11.0 and 11.1 allows remote attackers to read and write server files through the DQM API. The DQM API accepts all control requests in unauthenticated sessions instead of enforcing session authentication. Access to a valid Cognos Analytics endpoint is sufficient, and successful requests can disclose or modify filesystem data.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-4561
Published
May 31, 2021
Updated
Sep 17, 2024
Vendor
IBM
Product
Cognos Analytics
Classifications
CWE-829, T1190
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 31, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 17, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=11.0
  2. Affected versionversion=11.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

IBM · Cognos Analyticsversion=11.0; version=11.1

Published CVSS scores

7.5NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
10.0NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
10.0IBM CorporationCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-829Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere
T1190Exploit Public-Facing Application

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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