CVE-2024-28777
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 Cognos Controller 11.0.0 through 11.0.1 FP3 and IBM Controller 11.1.0 is vulnerable to unrestricted deserialization. This vulnerability allows users to execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, or cause denial of service attacks by exploiting the unrestricted deserialization of types in the application.
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 Cognos Controller versions 11.0.0 through 11.0.1 FP3 and 11.1.0 contain an unrestricted deserialization vulnerability where the application deserializes untrusted data without proper type checking or validation. This allows attackers to craft malicious serialized objects that, when deserialized, can execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, or cause denial of service.
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>= 11.0.0, < 11.0.1.4= 11.1.0CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed IBM Cognos Controller versionLocate the installation directory and check version metadata files, or use the Cognos Configuration tool to view the installed version. Common locations include the installation root directory or check the 'cogstartup.xml' file for version information.Affected if The installed version is 11.0.0 through 11.0.1.3, or exactly version 11.1.0
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Determine if deserialization features are in useReview application configuration files for serialization-related settings. Check for Java object serialization or .NET BinaryFormatter usage in configuration files within the Cognos installation directory, particularly in web.config or similar application config files.Affected if Deserialization of untrusted data is permitted and no whitelist-based serialization filters are configured
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Verify deserialization security controlsInspect the Cognos Controller configuration for any custom serializer implementations or security filters. Look for settings related to ObjectInputStream or similar deserialization mechanisms in the application configuration.Affected if No input validation or type checking is enforced on deserialized objects, and no whitelist-based deserialization is configured
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Check for exposed deserialization endpointsReview network-facing configurations and web service endpoints that accept serialized data. Look for SOAP, RMI, or custom serialization endpoints in the Cognos Controller deployment.Affected if The application exposes endpoints that accept and deserialize untrusted serialized objects without validation
A user is affected if their installed IBM Cognos Controller version falls within 11.0.0 through 11.0.1.3 or is exactly 11.1.0, AND the application deserializes untrusted data without whitelist-based controls or type validation.
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.
dbcve · scoped11.0.1.4
Apply vendor-supplied patches when available. If no patch exists, implement whitelist-based deserialization, disable risky deserialization libraries, and add input validation layers. Consider network segmentation to limit exposure.
IBM Cognos Controller 11.0.1.4 or later (for 11.0.x line); IBM Cognos Controller 11.1.x with security fix (for 11.1.0 line)
- Check the current IBM Cognos Controller version by accessing About or version information in the application
- Identify whether the installation is version 11.0.x (before 11.0.1.4) or version 11.1.0
- For version 11.0.x: Download and install IBM Cognos Controller 11.0.1.4 or later from IBM Fix Central (search for 'IBM Cognos Controller 11.0.1.4')
- For version 11.1.0: Download and install the appropriate security patch for 11.1.0 from IBM Fix Central, or upgrade to a newer fixed release if available
- After installation, verify the new version number matches the fixed release (11.0.1.4 or later, or patched 11.1.x)
- Test critical business functions to ensure the update does not break existing workflows
- Review IBM's security bulletin for any additional post-installation configuration or security steps
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing10.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-28777 — 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-2024-28777 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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