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Security Verify GovernanceApplication · Ibm

CVE-2023-35016

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-07-31
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable 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 Security Verify Governance, Identity Manager 10.0 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: 257772.

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 confidence

IBM Security Verify Governance, Identity Manager 10.0 is vulnerable to path traversal via specially crafted URL requests containing 'dot dot' sequences (/../). A remote attacker can exploit this to traverse directories and view arbitrary files on the system outside the intended web root, potentially exposing sensitive configuration files, credentials, or other system data.

MitigationApply vendor-supplied patches or updates for IBM Security Verify Governance, Identity Manager 10.0. Implement input validation to sanitize path traversal sequences and restrict file access to authorized paths only.

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
Security Verify GovernanceApplication
Affected:= 10.0

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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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 checks

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

  1. Confirm IBM Security Verify Governance Identity Manager is installed
    Locate the installation directory or check system services for processes related to IBM Security Verify Governance, Identity Manager. Common locations include /opt/ibm/ or installation-specific paths. Use commands like 'ps aux | grep -i ibm' or check installed programs list.
    Affected if The software is present and running on the system
  2. Verify the installed version is 10.0
    Check the exact version of IBM Security Verify Governance Identity Manager installed. This is typically found in the product's about page, version file, or installation logs. Consult product documentation for version check commands or files.
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 10.0 (matches '= 10.0' in affected versions)
  3. Determine if the web interface is accessible
    Identify whether the web component of IBM Security Verify Governance Identity Manager is running and exposed. Check if the HTTP/HTTPS ports used by the product are listening. Verify network exposure settings and firewall rules.
    Affected if The web interface is accessible via network and the vulnerability can be reached remotely
  4. Inspect access controls on file system
    Review the file permissions and access controls on the directories accessible by the web application. Check if the web root is properly isolated and if there are restrictions preventing directory traversal outside intended boundaries.
    Affected if File permissions allow the web process to access files outside the designated web root directory

A system is affected if IBM Security Verify Governance Identity Manager version 10.0 is installed with its web interface accessible, as the path traversal flaw can be exploited through specially crafted URL requests.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply vendor-supplied patches or updates for IBM Security Verify Governance, Identity Manager 10.0. Implement input validation to sanitize path traversal sequences and restrict file access to authorized paths only.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Fixed release version as specified in IBM Security Bulletin for CVE-2023-35016 (refer to IBM Fix Central or security bulletin)

  1. Check IBM Security Verify Governance 10.0 for available patches via IBM Fix Central (https://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/)
  2. Search for IBM Security Bulletin regarding CVE-2023-35016 (IBM X-Force ID: 257772) at www.ibm.com/security/security-bulletins/
  3. Apply the recommended patch or upgrade to the fixed version as specified in the IBM security bulletin
  4. After patching, verify the fix by testing that directory traversal attempts using /../ sequences are blocked
Caveat Review IBM release notes for the fixed version for any configuration or compatibility changes

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

Fix this in Security Verify Governance Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
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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-2023-35016 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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