CVE-2020-4452
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 API Connect V2018.4.1.0 through 2018.4.1.11 uses weaker than expected cryptographic algorithms that could allow an attacker to decrypt highly sensitive information. IBM X-Force ID: 181324.
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 · moderate confidenceIBM API Connect versions 2018.4.1.0 through 2018.4.1.11 implement weaker than expected cryptographic algorithms, enabling attackers to decrypt highly sensitive information. This cryptographic weakness compromises data confidentiality and requires algorithmic upgrades to stronger standards.
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>= 2018.4.1.0, <= 2018.4.1.11CVSS 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
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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.
-
Identify IBM API Connect versionLocate the installed IBM API Connect version through the management UI (API Manager > Settings > Version), the command line (apic version or kubectl get pods), or the product information fileAffected if The installed version is 2018.4.1.0 through 2018.4.1.11 inclusive
-
Compare version against vulnerable rangeCompare your identified version number against the affected range: 2018.4.1.0 <= version <= 2018.4.1.11Affected if Your version falls within or below 2018.4.1.11 (versions 2018.4.1.0 through 2018.4.1.11 are affected)
-
Identify encrypted sensitive dataReview stored data assets in your API Connect environment that rely on encryption, such as API secrets, OAuth credentials, TLS certificates, or sensitive payload dataAffected if Encrypted sensitive data exists in the environment and could be decrypted by an attacker exploiting the weak cryptographic algorithms
You are affected if your IBM API Connect version is 2018.4.1.0 through 2018.4.1.11 and you have sensitive encrypted data stored that could be decrypted by exploiting the weak cryptographic algorithms.
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 dataUpgrade IBM API Connect to a version beyond 2018.4.1.11 that addresses the weak cryptographic algorithms, and re-encrypt any previously encrypted sensitive data using the strengthened algorithms.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 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 $8,448.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-4452 — 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-2020-4452 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data