CVE-2021-20492 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

IBM WebSphere Application Server versions 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, and Liberty Java Batch are susceptible to an XML External Entity Injection (XXE) vulnerability. This CVE was made public on May 25, 2021.

Understanding CVE-2021-20492

This section provides insights into the nature and impact of the vulnerability.

What is CVE-2021-20492?

CVE-2021-20492 is an XXE vulnerability in IBM WebSphere Application Server that allows remote attackers to potentially access sensitive information or cause memory resource exhaustion.

The Impact of CVE-2021-20492

The vulnerability poses a medium severity threat, with high confidentiality impact and low availability impact. A successful exploit could lead to data exposure or resource consumption.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-20492

Explore the technical aspects of the vulnerability to better understand its implications.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability occurs during XML data processing, allowing malicious entities to launch XXE attacks and exploit the system's XML parser.

Affected Systems and Versions

IBM WebSphere Application Server versions 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, and Liberty Java Batch are confirmed to be affected by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to inject malicious XML content, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data.

Mitigation and Prevention

Discover the steps to mitigate the risk associated with CVE-2021-20492.

Immediate Steps to Take

Ensure immediate application of official fixes provided by IBM to address the XXE vulnerability in affected versions.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement robust security measures such as regular security audits, network segmentation, and access controls to bolster system defenses.

Patching and Updates

Stay updated with security patches and advisories from IBM to safeguard your systems against potential XXE attacks.