What is CVE-2021-29872?A medium-severity flaw in Cloud Pak for Automation, explained.

Medium severity1 affected product
The short answer

CVE-2021-29872 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.4) in Cloud Pak for Automation from IBM, published on 18 January 2022. It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts its chance of use in the next 30 days at 0.8%. If you run an affected version, plan in the vendor’s fix.

Published 18 January 2022. Record last updated 25 January 2022. We keep this page's data up to date.

What it does

What is CVE-2021-29872? In plain terms.

It can be attacked from anywhere on the internet with an ordinary user account, but a person has to take an action first. If it works, the attacker can read some data and change some data.

The official description

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation 21.0.1 and 21.0.2 - Business Automation Studio Component is vulnerable to HTTP header injection, caused by improper validation of input by the HOST headers. By sending a specially crafted HTTP request, a remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to inject HTTP HOST header, which will allow the attacker to conduct various attacks against the vulnerable system, including cross-site scripting, cache poisoning or session hijacking. IBM X-Force ID: 206228.

What kind of flaw is it?

  • CWE-116Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output
CVSS 3.1 scoreMedium · 5.4

How an attack on it works

Read straight from its severity rating, translated out of the shorthand.

  • Where an attacker can beAnywhere on the internet
  • How hard it is to pull offEasy: no special conditions
  • Login needed firstAn ordinary user account
  • Does someone have to clickYes, a person has to take an action
  • What an attacker getsCan read some data and change some data

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

Exploitation

Is CVE-2021-29872 being exploited? Not that we know of.

It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 0.8%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.

Known to be exploitedNoNot on the list of exploited flaws today
Chance of use in the next 30 days0.8%Its EPSS score, from the latest forecast

Timeline

  1. Published
  2. Record last updated
How EdgeProtect ranks it
24out of 100Low

CVE-2021-29872 scores 24. Action: Monitor.

We keep the score of every published flaw up to date as the evidence changes. Four things go into the score, and evidence that criminals are actually using it counts most. In order:

  • Evidence it is being exploitedBiggest factor
  • How severe it isStrong factor
  • How widely exposed it isKey context
  • Real threat activity around itKey context

85 and above is Critical. Anything confirmed as exploited is always marked for an emergency patch, whatever its score.

When CVE-2021-29872 matches software you track, it lands in your list with its score and the reasons behind it.

See your own ranked list →
Affected products

Who is affected by CVE-2021-29872? One product.

The published record lists 1 product from 1 vendor. Versions are shown as published: "before 21.0.2" means every version up to, but not including, 21.0.2. If you run one of these, check your version, then go to the fix below.

  • Application

    Cloud Pak for Automation

    by IBM

    Affected versions
    before 21.0.2before 21.0.121.0.221.0.2-interim_fix00121.0.2-interim_fix00221.0.2-interim_fix00321.0.2-interim_fix00421.0.2-interim_fix00521.0.2-interim_fix006
Remediation

How do I fix CVE-2021-29872? Four steps.

  1. Check whether you run itCompare your versions with the affected products above. Not sure what you run? EdgeProtect can work it out from your public website, or you can pick it from a list.
  2. Apply the vendor’s fixInstall the update named in the vendor’s advisory. We’ve put the advisories and patch notes first in the list.
  3. If you can’t patch todayFollow any mitigation the vendor publishes, and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet until the update is in.
  4. Keep an eye on itTrack the product and we tell you as soon as we spot this flaw on the list of exploited flaws, or a jump in its exploit likelihood.

References

2 links
EdgeProtect

Does CVE-2021-29872 affect you? We'll keep checking.

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  1. Tell us what you runPick your software from a list, or let us work it out from your website.
  2. We match it to every flawOver 400,000 published flaws, checked against your list.
  3. Ranked by real-world riskA 0 to 100 score, led by evidence criminals are using it.
  4. Told as soon as we knowAn alert by email, in the app or by webhook to your own tools.

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FAQ

Common questions, answered plainly.

Something else? Talk to the team →

CVE-2021-29872 is a medium-severity flaw in Cloud Pak for Automation from IBM, published on 18 January 2022. It can be attacked from anywhere on the internet with an ordinary user account, but a person has to take an action first. If it works, the attacker can read some data and change some data.

It scores 5.4 out of 10 on the CVSS severity scale, which is medium. Our risk score for CVE-2021-29872 is 24 out of 100, which is Low. Its action is "Monitor". No sign of exploitation and a low forecast. Patch it in your normal update cycle.

It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 0.8%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.

For Cloud Pak for Automation from IBM: before 21.0.2, before 21.0.1, 21.0.2, 21.0.2-interim_fix001, 21.0.2-interim_fix002, 21.0.2-interim_fix003 and 3 more.

Install the update the vendor names in its advisory, linked first under "How do I fix" on this page. If you can't patch today, follow the vendor's mitigation and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet.