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Cognos ControllerApplication · Ibm

CVE-2024-45084

HIGH · 8.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-02-19
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 11.0.1.4 or later.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable

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 Cognos Controller 11.0.0 through 11.0.1 FP3 and IBM Controller 11.1.0 could allow an authenticated attacker to conduct formula injection. An attacker could execute arbitrary commands on the system, caused by improper validation of file contents.

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 Cognos Controller versions 11.0.0-11.0.1 FP3 and 11.1.0 contain a formula injection vulnerability where authenticated attackers can embed malicious spreadsheet formulas into file contents due to improper validation. When processed, these formulas can execute arbitrary operating system commands.

MitigationImplement strict input validation and sanitization for all file content imports, particularly for CSV/spreadsheet files, to neutralize formula injection characters (=, +, -, @, tab). Consider disabling formula execution in import functionality or using safe parsing libraries.

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
Cognos ControllerApplication
Affected:>= 11.0.0, < 11.0.1.4
ControllerApplication
Affected:= 11.1.0

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
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/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. Identify installed IBM Cognos Controller version
    Check the product version through the IBM Cognos Configuration tool, or inspect the installed files for version information (typically found in installation directory or registry).
    Affected if The installed version is 11.0.0 through 11.0.1.3 (FP3), or exactly version 11.1.0.
  2. Confirm the product is IBM Cognos Controller or IBM Controller
    Verify the exact product name and version from the installed software listing or about dialog within the application.
    Affected if The product is IBM Cognos Controller or IBM Controller matching the affected version ranges.
  3. Check if file import functionality exists
    Review the application configuration and features to determine if CSV, spreadsheet, or data file import capabilities are available and enabled.
    Affected if File import functionality for spreadsheet or CSV data is present and accessible to users.
  4. Verify user authentication is configured
    Check the authentication settings and user access controls within IBM Cognos Controller to determine which users can access the file import feature.
    Affected if Authenticated users (including potentially low-privileged users) have access to file import or data upload features.
  5. Inspect import processing configuration
    Review any settings related to how imported files are processed, particularly whether formula characters (=, +, -, @, tab) in imported data are validated or sanitized before execution.
    Affected if There is no visible input validation or sanitization applied to formula injection characters in the import process.

A user is affected if they have IBM Cognos Controller or IBM Controller version 11.0.0 through 11.0.1.3 or exactly 11.1.0 installed, and the file import feature is accessible to authenticated users without proper formula injection protection.

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 11.0.1.4 or later
Fixed in 11.0.1.4
Interim mitigation

Implement strict input validation and sanitization for all file content imports, particularly for CSV/spreadsheet files, to neutralize formula injection characters (=, +, -, @, tab). Consider disabling formula execution in import functionality or using safe parsing libraries.

Recommended fix High confidence

IBM Cognos Controller 11.0.1.4 or later (for 11.0.x users) / IBM Cognos Controller 11.1.1 or later (for 11.1.0 users)

  1. 1. Verify current IBM Cognos Controller version by accessing the About section in the administration console
  2. 2. If running version 11.0.0 through 11.0.1.3, plan upgrade to version 11.0.1.4 or later
  3. 3. If running version 11.1.0, plan upgrade to version 11.1.1 or later
  4. 4. Review IBM Cognos Controller upgrade documentation for prerequisites
  5. 5. Schedule maintenance window and perform full backup of databases and configuration
  6. 6. Run the installer for the target fixed version
  7. 7. Validate functionality post-upgrade by testing import/export features that handle file contents
Caveat Review IBM release notes for any configuration or compatibility changes between versions

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

Fix this in Cognos Controller Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
30.0 hours of engineering $5,280
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $8,448.

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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-2024-45084 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