CVE-2021-20486Network attack vector

Authenticated data disclosure via expired policy cache

Published May 26, 2021 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

Information disclosure in IBM Cloud Pak for Data 3.0 allows remote authenticated users to read protected virtualized data via policy failure. Watson Knowledge Catalog lets an unmodified asset expire from its policy-service cache after seven days, after which Data Virtualization stops enforcing the asset's data-protection rules. Exposure requires both add-ons, defined rules, and the non-default Policy enforcement setting; access is limited to authenticated users and protected data.

CVSS severity6.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.85%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Information disclosure in IBM Cloud Pak for Data 3.0 allows remote authenticated users to read protected virtualized data via policy failure. Watson Knowledge Catalog lets an unmodified asset expire from its policy-service cache after seven days, after which Data Virtualization stops enforcing the asset's data-protection rules. Exposure requires both add-ons, defined rules, and the non-default Policy enforcement setting; access is limited to authenticated users and protected data.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-20486
Published
May 26, 2021
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
IBM
Product
IBM Cloud Pak for Data
Classifications
T1213
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 26, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 16, 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=3.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

IBM · IBM Cloud Pak for Dataversion=3.0

Published CVSS scores

6.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
5.3IBM CorporationCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
4.0NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:N/A:N

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.

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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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1213Data from Information Repositories

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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