CVE-2019-4716

From Exploited flaws, HARD’s guide to the flaws being used in attacks · Checked
This article is about a flaw in IBM Planning Analytics. For every flaw being used in attacks, see Exploited flaws; for IBM’s, see IBM flaws being used in attacks.

CVE-2019-4716 is a security flaw in IBM Planning Analytics. Attackers can run their own code on IBM Planning Analytics from anywhere, without logging in. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 3 Nov 2021.[1]

IBM Planning Analytics is business software or equipment. Most families won’t have it, but attackers break into it to get inside companies, and from there to what those companies hold about their customers, patients and staff. IBM has published a fix or advice.

Description

CISA calls it a remote code execution in IBM Planning Analytics. In its words: “IBM Planning Analytics is vulnerable to a configuration overwrite that allows an unauthenticated user to login as "admin", and then execute code as root or SYSTEM via TM1 scripting.”[1]

The CVE record adds: “IBM Planning Analytics 2.0.0 through 2.0.8 is vulnerable to a configuration overwrite that allows an unauthenticated user to login as "admin", and then execute code as root or SYSTEM via TM1 scripting. IBM X-Force ID: 172094.”[2]

The underlying weakness is code injection (CWE-94), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.

It scores 9.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it critical, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]

Affected versions

NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; IBM’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as IBM Planning Analytics.

Most families won’t have IBM Planning Analytics; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.

Exploitation

CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 3 Nov 2021, 686 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 3 May 2022 to fix it.[1]

FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 86%. That’s in the top 1% of the flaws it scores.[4]

CISA assesses it as automatable: attackers can run it against many targets at once.

CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.

Fix

IBM has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]

  1. Check whether you use it.IBM Planning Analytics is business software or equipment, so most families won’t have it. If you run a business, or work from home on company equipment, ask whoever looks after your IT.
  2. Send this page to your IT person.Ask them to confirm it’s fixed, or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 3 May 2022 to fix it.
  3. If it can’t be fixed, take it offline.CISA’s advice when there’s no fix is to stop using the product, or take it off the internet, until there is one.

You can’t fix someone else’s server, but you can watch for what follows a break-in like this: a breach notice, a password reset you didn’t ask for, or a scam message that knows things it shouldn’t. HARD watches for those for you and your family.

Timeline

DateEvent
The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 9.8.[2]
CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1]
CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1]
FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 86%.[4]

See also

Other IBM flaws

  • CVE-2026-9198, IBM Langflow: code injection ·
  • CVE-2022-47986, IBM Aspera Faspex: code execution ·
  • CVE-2013-3993, IBM InfoSphere BigInsights: invalid input ·
  • CVE-2015-7450, IBM WebSphere Application Server and Server Hypervisor Edition: code injection. ·
  • CVE-2020-4430, IBM Data Risk Manager: directory traversal ·

Other code injection flaws

Added the same day

  • CVE-2021-42258, BQE BillQuick Web Suite: SQL injection ·
  • CVE-2021-42013, Apache HTTP Server: path traversal ·
  • CVE-2021-41773, Apache HTTP Server: path traversal ·
  • CVE-2021-40539, Zoho ManageEngine: aDSelfService plus authentication bypass ·
  • CVE-2021-40444, Microsoft MSHTML: remote code execution ·

Every IBM flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in November 2021

References

  1. ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “IBM Planning Analytics Remote Code Execution Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 3 Nov 2021.
  2. ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2019-4716 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 18 Dec 2019.
  3. ^ IBM. Advisories and fixes: exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com, ibm.com.
  4. ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.864, percentile 99.7, 31 Oct 2026.
  5. CVE Program. “CVE-2019-4716”. The official CVE record.

This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.