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CVE Record

CVE-2020-4177: IBM Security Guardium 11.1 contains hard-coded credentials, such as a password or cryptographic key, which...

IBM Security Guardium 11.1 contains hard-coded credentials, such as a password or cryptographic key, which it uses for its own inbound authentication, outbound communication to external components, or encryption of internal data. IBM X-Force ID: 174732.

MediumCVSS 6.8Not KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

IBM Security Guardium 11.1 used hard-coded credentials or keys. That can weaken trust boundaries because a shared secret may protect authentication, external communications, or internal data encryption. The main business risk is confidentiality loss in systems managing sensitive database security data.

Executive priority

Prioritize remediation where Guardium protects regulated or high-value databases. The score is medium, but confidentiality impact is high and the product sits near sensitive data security controls.

Technical view

The CVE describes hard-coded credentials in IBM Security Guardium 11.1. CVSS 3.0 rates it 6.8 with network access, no privileges, no user interaction, high attack complexity, changed scope, and high confidentiality impact. Integrity and availability impacts are not listed.

Likely exposure

Exposure is limited to organizations running IBM Security Guardium 11.1. The bundle does not identify other affected versions, specific components, deployment modes, or required configuration conditions.

Exploitation context

The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation. CVSS exploit maturity is unproven. Treat this as a credible confidentiality risk, but not as evidence of current exploitation.

Researcher notes

Evidence identifies the affected product and version, CVSS vector, and hard-coded credential class. The provided bundle lacks detailed component names, credential type, exploit prerequisites beyond CVSS, and exact fixed version text.

Mitigation direction

  • Review IBM's advisory for the official Guardium 11.1 remediation path.
  • Apply IBM-provided fixes or upgrade guidance for affected Guardium deployments.
  • Restrict network access to Guardium administrative and integration interfaces.
  • Review credential and key rotation guidance from IBM before rotating operational secrets.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory IBM Security Guardium deployments and confirm installed versions.
  • Check whether any Guardium 11.1 instances remain in production or accessible networks.
  • Review IBM advisory details against local configuration and patch status.
  • Confirm monitoring covers authentication anomalies around Guardium services.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
4

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

description · low confidence lookup

Credential and access behavior lookup

The CVE wording references authentication or credential exposure, so valid-account and credential-access review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.

Open ATT&CK lookup
cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2020-4177 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Medium
CVSS
6.8 (3.0)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.0/PR:N/C:H/UI:N/S:C/A:N/AV:N/I:N/AC:H/RC:C/RL:O/E:U

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

1CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
3Source links

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
6.8CVSS 3.0MediumCVSS:3.0/PR:N/C:H/UI:N/S:C/A:N/AV:N/I:N/AC:H/RC:C/RL:O/E:U2.24Primary CVE score

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.0 score

6.8Medium
CVSS 3.0 vector shape for CVE-2020-4177Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

Vector: CVSS:3.0/PR:N/C:H/UI:N/S:C/A:N/AV:N/I:N/AC:H/RC:C/RL:O/E:U

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
IBMSecurity Guardium11.1Listed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.