CVE-2021-39028Network attack vector

Session hijacking via unvalidated Host header

Published Jul 14, 2022 · Updated Sep 17, 2024

HTTP header injection in IBM Engineering Lifecycle Optimization - Publishing 6.0.6 through 7.0.2 allows remote authenticated users to hijack sessions. The web application accepts an untrusted Host request header without validating it before downstream HTTP handling. Low-privileged access to the network service is required; successful injection can also poison caches or introduce cross-site scripting.

CVSS severity5.4
Medium
EPSS probability0.54%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

HTTP header injection in IBM Engineering Lifecycle Optimization - Publishing 6.0.6 through 7.0.2 allows remote authenticated users to hijack sessions. The web application accepts an untrusted Host request header without validating it before downstream HTTP handling. Low-privileged access to the network service is required; successful injection can also poison caches or introduce cross-site scripting.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-39028
Published
Jul 14, 2022
Updated
Sep 17, 2024
Vendor
IBM
Product
IBM Engineering Lifecycle Optimization - Publishing
Classifications
CWE-74, T1190
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 14, 2022CVE 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=6.0.6
  2. Affected versionversion=6.0.6.1
  3. Affected versionversion=7.0
  4. Affected versionversion=7.0.1
  5. Affected versionversion=7.0.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

IBM · IBM Engineering Lifecycle Optimization - Publishingversion=6.0.6; version=6.0.6.1; version=7.0; version=7.0.1; version=7.0.2

Published CVSS scores

5.4NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
5.4IBM CorporationCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/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.

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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-74Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')
T1190Exploit Public-Facing Application

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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