CVE-2021-36770: High severity ibm cognos analytics vulnerability

Published Aug 11, 2021
·
Updated

Encode could allow a local authenticated attacker to gain elevated privileges on the system, caused by an untrusted search path flaw. By using a specially-crafted Encode::ConfigLocal library, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability to gain elevated privileges.

Other sources

Encode.pm, as distributed in Perl through 5.34.0, allows local users to gain privileges via a Trojan horse Encode::ConfigLocal library (in the current working directory) that preempts dynamic module loading. Exploitation requires an unusual configuration, and certain 2021 versions of Encode.pm (3.05 through 3.11). This issue occurs because the || operator evaluates @INC in a scalar context, and thus @INC has only an integer value.

Affected Software

10 affected componentsFixes available
IBM Cognos Analytics<=12.0.0-12.0.3
IBM Cognos Analytics<=11.2.0-11.2.4 FP4
P5-encode Project P5-encode>=3.05<3.12
Perl Perl<=5.34.0
Fedoraproject Fedora=34
Fedoraproject Fedora=33
All of the following
P5-encode Project P5-encode>=3.05<3.12
Perl Perl<=5.34.0
debian/libencode-perl
3.08-1+deb11u23.08-1+deb11u13.19-13.21-1
debian/perl
5.32.1-4+deb11u35.32.1-4+deb11u45.36.0-7+deb12u35.36.0-7+deb12u25.40.1-65.40.1-7

Event History

Aug 11, 2021
CVE Published
via MITRE·10:49 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·10:49 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·11:15 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Nov 18, 2025
Data Sourced
via Debian·10:03 PM
DescriptionAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is CVE-2021-36770?

CVE-2021-36770 is a vulnerability in Perl through 5.34.0 that allows local users to gain privileges via a Trojan horse Encode::ConfigLocal library.

2

How can local users exploit CVE-2021-36770?

Local users can exploit CVE-2021-36770 by placing a specially crafted Encode::ConfigLocal library in the current working directory to preempts dynamic module loading.

3

Which versions of Perl and libencode-perl are affected by CVE-2021-36770?

Versions 3.00-1+deb10u1, 3.08-1+deb11u2, 3.08-1+deb11u1, 3.19-1 of libencode-perl and versions 5.28.1-6+deb10u1, 5.32.1-4+deb11u2, 5.32.1-4+deb11u1, 5.36.0-7, 5.36.0-9 of Perl are affected by CVE-2021-36770.

4

What is the severity of CVE-2021-36770?

CVE-2021-36770 has a severity rating of 7.8 (high).

5

How can I mitigate the vulnerability CVE-2021-36770?

To mitigate CVE-2021-36770, it is recommended to update to the fixed versions of Perl (above 5.36.0-9) and libencode-perl (above 3.19-1).

Contact

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