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Maximo Asset ManagementApplication · Ibm

CVE-2021-20509

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-08-12
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 7.6.1.2 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
IBM Maximo Asset Management 7.6.0 and 7.6.1 is potentially vulnerable to CSV Injection. A remote attacker could execute arbitrary commands on the system, caused by improper validation of csv file contents. IBM X-Force ID: 198243.

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 confidence

IBM Maximo Asset Management versions 7.6.0 and 7.6.1 contains a CSV Injection vulnerability where improper validation of CSV file contents allows a remote attacker to inject malicious payloads that execute arbitrary commands on the underlying system with the privileges of the application.

MitigationApply IBM's security patch for this vulnerability or upgrade to a fixed version of Maximo Asset Management. As a general security measure, restrict CSV file upload functionality to trusted sources and validate all CSV content server-side before processing.

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
Maximo Asset ManagementApplication
Affected:> 7.6.0.0, < 7.6.1.2

CVSS 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
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Determine Maximo Asset Management version
    Log into Maximo and navigate to the System Information section (Go To > System Configuration > Platform Configuration > System Information), or check the maxversion.properties file in the installation directory
    Affected if The installed version is greater than 7.6.0.0 and less than 7.6.1.2
  2. Identify CSV import/export functionality
    Check if the CSV file import/export feature is enabled in Maximo by reviewing the System Properties for import/export related settings, or verify the presence of the oslc.csvapp or similar CSV application module
    Affected if CSV import functionality is active and accessible to users
  3. Verify web application exposure
    Confirm the Maximo web application (typically at /maximo or /ibm/console) is exposed externally or to untrusted networks by reviewing web server configuration or network access controls
    Affected if The Maximo web interface is accessible from untrusted network segments where CSV files could be uploaded
  4. Check for existing exploit indicators
    Review application server logs (such as WebSphere or IBM HTTP Server logs) for suspicious CSV upload patterns or unexpected command execution attempts
    Affected if Log analysis reveals anomalous CSV uploads or unexpected system command executions

A user is affected if their Maximo Asset Management version falls between 7.6.0.1 and 7.6.1.1 inclusive and the CSV import/export feature is enabled and accessible.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 7.6.1.2 or later
Fixed in 7.6.1.2
Interim mitigation

Apply IBM's security patch for this vulnerability or upgrade to a fixed version of Maximo Asset Management. As a general security measure, restrict CSV file upload functionality to trusted sources and validate all CSV content server-side before processing.

Recommended fix High confidence

Maximo Asset Management 7.6.1.2 or later

  1. Backup the current Maximo Asset Management installation and database before proceeding with any changes
  2. Review IBM's official fix documentation and release notes for version 7.6.1.2 to understand any specific upgrade requirements
  3. Download IBM Maximo Asset Management version 7.6.1.2 or later from IBM Fix Central or your authorized IBM distribution channel
  4. Test the upgrade in a non-production/staging environment first to verify compatibility with your specific configuration
  5. Apply the upgrade following IBM's standard upgrade procedures for Maximo Asset Management
  6. After upgrading, validate that CSV file handling functions properly and the vulnerability is resolved
  7. Monitor IBM Security Bulletins for any subsequent patches or updates
Caveat Review IBM release notes for 7.6.1.2 for any configuration or compatibility changes; standard upgrade risks apply (test in staging first)

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Maximo Asset Management Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,640
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-20509 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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