CVE-2024-52363: IBM InfoSphere Path Traversal Vulnerability

CVE-2024-52363 Overview

CVE-2024-52363 is a path traversal vulnerability affecting IBM InfoSphere Information Server 11.7. A remote, unauthenticated attacker can send a specially crafted URL containing ../ sequences to read arbitrary files on the underlying operating system. The flaw is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory.

Exploitation requires no authentication or user interaction and can be performed over the network. Successful attacks expose configuration files, credentials, and other sensitive data stored on the host server.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can read arbitrary files on the InfoSphere Information Server host, exposing credentials, configuration data, and other sensitive content.

Affected Products

IBM InfoSphere Information Server 11.7
IBM AIX (as supported host operating system)
Linux and Microsoft Windows (as supported host operating systems)

Discovery Timeline

2025-01-17 - CVE-2024-52363 published to NVD
2025-03-11 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-52363

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in URL request handling within IBM InfoSphere Information Server 11.7. The application fails to properly canonicalize and validate user-supplied path components before resolving them against the server filesystem. An attacker can submit HTTP requests containing dot-dot-slash (../) sequences to escape the intended web root and access files outside the permitted directory.

Because the attack vector is network-based and requires no privileges or user interaction, any attacker who can reach the InfoSphere web interface can attempt exploitation. The impact is limited to confidentiality: arbitrary files readable by the InfoSphere service account can be retrieved, but the flaw does not directly permit modification or denial of service.

InfoSphere Information Server commonly runs with elevated privileges and stores connection strings, database credentials, ETL job definitions, and integration secrets on disk. Disclosure of these artifacts can enable lateral movement into connected databases and data warehouses.

Root Cause

The root cause is insufficient input validation on path parameters supplied through HTTP requests. The application accepts user-controlled path segments and concatenates them into filesystem operations without rejecting traversal sequences or restricting access to a designated base directory.

Attack Vector

An attacker sends a crafted HTTP or HTTPS request to a vulnerable InfoSphere endpoint with traversal sequences embedded in a path parameter. The server resolves the traversal and returns the contents of the targeted file. No authentication is required, and the attack is repeatable against any accessible network endpoint.

No public proof-of-concept exploit has been published. The vulnerability has not been listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. See the IBM Support Page for vendor technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-52363

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP request logs containing ../, ..%2f, ..%5c, or double-encoded traversal sequences targeting InfoSphere Information Server endpoints
Unexpected access to system files such as /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow, C:\Windows\win.ini, or InfoSphere configuration files like DSParams and isjdbc.config
HTTP 200 responses to requests with unusual path parameters originating from external or untrusted IP addresses

Detection Strategies

Inspect web server and reverse proxy access logs for traversal patterns directed at InfoSphere URLs
Deploy WAF or IDS signatures that match encoded and unencoded directory traversal payloads
Correlate file read operations by the InfoSphere service account against expected application paths to surface anomalies

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose HTTP request logging on InfoSphere front-end servers and forward logs to a centralized SIEM
Alert on bursts of 4xx and 5xx responses indicating traversal probing activity
Monitor outbound connections from the InfoSphere host for signs of post-exploitation lateral movement using exfiltrated credentials

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-52363

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the security update referenced in the IBM Support advisory for InfoSphere Information Server 11.7
Restrict network access to the InfoSphere web interface using firewall rules or VPN-only access until patching is complete
Audit InfoSphere host filesystems and rotate any credentials or secrets that may have been exposed

Patch Information

IBM has published a security bulletin and remediation guidance on the IBM Support Page. Administrators should follow the vendor instructions to install the corresponding interim fix or rollup patch for InfoSphere Information Server 11.7.

Workarounds

Place InfoSphere behind a web application firewall configured to block requests containing directory traversal sequences and their encoded variants
Restrict the InfoSphere service account to the minimum filesystem permissions required for normal operation
Disable or block external access to administrative endpoints that are not required for business operations

bash

# Example WAF rule (ModSecurity) to block traversal attempts
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@rx (\.\./|\.\.\\|%2e%2e%2f|%2e%2e/|\.\.%2f|%2e%2e%5c)" \
    "id:1005220,phase:1,deny,status:403,log,msg:'Path Traversal attempt against InfoSphere'"