CVE-2024-40691
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 and 11.0.1 could be vulnerable to malicious file upload by not validating the content of the file uploaded to the web interface. Attackers can make use of this weakness and upload malicious executable files into the system, and it can be sent to victim for performing further attacks.
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 Cognos Controller 11.0.0 and 11.0.1 fail to validate the content of files uploaded through the web interface, allowing attackers to upload malicious executable files that can be distributed to victims for further attacks.
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= 11.0.1CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Locate IBM Cognos Controller installationCheck for the Cognos installation directory, typically under C:\Program Files\IBM\Cognos\ccm\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\IBM\Cognos\ccm\ on Windows servers. Also check the Cognos Configuration tool (cogconfig.exe) in the bin folder.Affected if IBM Cognos Controller is installed on the server
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Verify installed version is 11.0.0 or 11.0.1Open Cognos Configuration and navigate to the About section, or check the version file in the installation directory. The version is displayed in the Cognos Administration portal under System > About, or can be found in the file version metadata of the executable files.Affected if Installed version is exactly 11.0.0 or 11.0.1
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Confirm web interface is accessibleTest access to the Cognos Controller web URL (typically http://servername/cognos controller or https://servername/cognos controller). Verify the web portal is reachable and authentication is possible.Affected if Web interface is accessible to users
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Check if file upload capability is enabledWithin the Cognos Controller web interface, navigate to the sections that accept file uploads (such as report attachments, data imports, or document management features). Verify whether any upload functionality is available to standard users.Affected if File upload feature is available and accessible through the web interface
Your environment is affected if IBM Cognos Controller version 11.0.0 or 11.0.1 is installed, the web interface is accessible, and file upload functionality is enabled for users.
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 dataImplement strict server-side file content validation (magic byte checking), restrict allowed file types, store uploads outside the webroot, and consider antivirus scanning of uploaded files.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-40691 — 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-2024-40691 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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- 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
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