CVE-2019-4423
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedIBM Sterling File Gateway 2.2.0.0 through 6.0.1.0 could allow a remote attacker to traverse directories on the system. An attacker could send a specially-crafted URL request containing "dot dot" sequences (/../) to view arbitrary files on the system. IBM X-Force ID: 162769.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceIBM Sterling File Gateway versions 2.2.0.0 through 6.0.1.0 contains a path traversal vulnerability that allows remote attackers to access arbitrary files on the system by using directory traversal sequences (/../) in specially-crafted URL requests.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data>= 2.2.0.0, <= 6.0.1.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify IBM Sterling File Gateway installationCheck for the product by searching for directories named 'SterlingFileGateway' or 'SFG', or look for running processes named 'filegateway' or 'sfg'. Common install paths include /opt/ibm/sfg or C:\IBM\sfg.Affected if The product is installed on the system.
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Determine the installed versionLocate the version information file in the installation directory, typically found in a 'version' or 'about' file, or access the web administration interface and navigate to the About or Version information page.Affected if The version falls within 2.2.0.0 through 6.0.1.0 inclusive.
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Verify web interface accessibilityCheck if the Sterling File Gateway web interface ports (commonly 8443, 9443, or 443) are listening and accessible from the network using commands like 'netstat -an | grep -E "(8443|9443)"' or by testing HTTP/HTTPS connectivity to the endpoint.Affected if The web interface is exposed and reachable.
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Confirm vulnerability exposureSend a test HTTP GET request using directory traversal syntax to the web gateway endpoint, such as: GET /../../../../etc/passwd or similar path traversal patterns to the exposed web service.Affected if The server returns file contents or responds with unexpected access to system files.
If IBM Sterling File Gateway version 2.2.0.0 through 6.0.1.0 is installed and its web interface is network-accessible, the environment is affected by this path traversal vulnerability.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataApply the IBM security patch or upgrade to a version beyond 6.0.1.0. Additionally, implement input validation on URL parameters to reject directory traversal sequences.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,656.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-4423 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-4423 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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