CVE-2024-41757: IBM Concert Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2024-41757 Overview

CVE-2024-41757 affects IBM Concert Software versions 1.0.0 and 1.0.1. The application fails to properly enable HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS), leaving user sessions vulnerable to protocol downgrade attacks. A remote attacker positioned between a client and the server can leverage this weakness through man-in-the-middle techniques to obtain sensitive information transmitted over the connection. The issue maps to [CWE-319] (Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information) and [CWE-311] (Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data). IBM has published a security bulletin acknowledging the flaw and providing remediation guidance for affected customers.

Critical Impact
A network-positioned attacker can strip TLS and intercept authenticated session data exchanged with IBM Concert Software.

Affected Products

IBM Concert Software 1.0.0
IBM Concert Software 1.0.1
Deployments exposing the Concert web interface over untrusted networks

Discovery Timeline

2025-01-24 - CVE-2024-41757 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-41757

Vulnerability Analysis

IBM Concert Software 1.0.0 and 1.0.1 do not emit the Strict-Transport-Security response header on HTTPS responses. Without this header, browsers have no cached policy instructing them to force HTTPS on subsequent requests to the host. An initial http:// request, a bookmarked link, or a typed hostname without a scheme can therefore be intercepted before any redirect to HTTPS completes. The window between the plaintext request and the encrypted redirect gives an on-path adversary an opportunity to hijack the session or downgrade the connection entirely.

Root Cause

The root cause is a missing security response header in the application's HTTP configuration. HSTS ([CWE-319], [CWE-311]) instructs conforming user agents to communicate with the origin only over TLS for a defined max-age. Because IBM Concert omits this directive, browsers cannot enforce HTTPS-only behavior on their own, and the trust boundary depends on every request already being encrypted.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires an attacker on the network path between the victim and the Concert server, such as a rogue Wi-Fi access point, compromised router, or ARP-spoofed LAN segment. The attacker intercepts the initial cleartext HTTP request and proxies traffic using a tool such as sslstrip, presenting an unencrypted session to the client while communicating with the server over TLS. Session cookies, authentication tokens, and application data submitted during that session can be read or modified. The attack complexity is elevated because it depends on positioning and on the victim initiating at least one non-HTTPS request.

No public proof-of-concept exploit is available for CVE-2024-41757. The exploitation pattern is well-documented in general HSTS-bypass research; see the IBM Support Page for vendor-specific technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-41757

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected http:// requests to the Concert hostname originating from user workstations or captured in proxy logs
Session cookies for IBM Concert appearing in plaintext network captures
TLS certificate mismatches or unexpected issuers observed by clients connecting to the Concert endpoint

Detection Strategies

Scan Concert HTTPS responses for the presence and value of the Strict-Transport-Security header using tools such as curl -I or automated header-auditing scanners
Correlate authentication events with client source networks to identify logins originating from unusual or transit networks
Inspect web application firewall and reverse proxy logs for HTTP-to-HTTPS redirects preceding successful authentications

Monitoring Recommendations

Alert on any inbound port 80 traffic to Concert hosts that should be TLS-only
Monitor for anomalous user-agent patterns or geographic locations tied to Concert session cookies
Track certificate transparency logs for unauthorized certificates issued for Concert domains

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-41757

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the fixed release referenced in the IBM security bulletin for IBM Concert Software
Restrict access to the Concert web interface to trusted networks or VPN-terminated segments until patching is complete
Force TLS at the upstream load balancer or reverse proxy and disable listeners on port 80

Patch Information

IBM has published remediation guidance in support document 7173596. Administrators should review the IBM Support Page to identify the fixed version applicable to their deployment of IBM Concert 1.0.0 or 1.0.1 and apply the update following IBM's upgrade procedure.

Workarounds

Configure the fronting reverse proxy or load balancer to inject a Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains header on all HTTPS responses
Submit the Concert hostname to the browser HSTS preload list once HSTS is enforced end to end
Redirect all HTTP requests to HTTPS with a 301 response at the network edge to shorten the plaintext exposure window

bash

# Configuration example: enforce HSTS at an NGINX reverse proxy fronting IBM Concert
server {
    listen 443 ssl http2;
    server_name concert.example.com;

    add_header Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains; preload" always;

    location / {
        proxy_pass https://concert-backend.internal;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto https;
    }
}

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name concert.example.com;
    return 301 https://$host$request_uri;
}