CVE-2020-4430
CVE-2020-4430 is a security flaw in IBM Data Risk Manager. Attackers can read files on IBM Data Risk Manager that should be out of reach. 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 Data Risk Manager 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 directory traversal in IBM Data Risk Manager. In its words: “IBM Data Risk Manager contains a directory traversal vulnerability that could allow a remote authenticated attacker to traverse directories and send a specially crafted URL request to download arbitrary files from the system.”[1]
The underlying weakness is path traversal (CWE-22), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.[2]
It scores 4.3 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it medium, 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 Data Risk Manager.
Most families won’t have IBM Data Risk Manager; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 3 Nov 2021, 545 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 69%. That’s in the top 1% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as not automatable: each attack takes some work.
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]
- Check whether you use it.IBM Data Risk Manager 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.
- 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.
- 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
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 4.3.[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 69%.[4] |
See also
Other IBM Data Risk Manager flaws
- CVE-2020-4428: remote code execution ·
- CVE-2020-4427: security bypass ·
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-2019-4716, IBM Planning Analytics: remote code execution ·
Other path traversal flaws
- CVE-2025-61624, Fortinet products: path traversal ·
- CVE-2021-3199, ONLYOFFICE Docs: server path traversal ·
- CVE-2026-104286, Fortinet FortiMail: path traversal ·
- CVE-2026-93616, Check Point products: path traversal ·
- CVE-2026-66384, JFrog Artifactory: improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory ·
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
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “IBM Data Risk Manager Directory Traversal Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 3 Nov 2021.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2020-4430 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 7 May 2020.
- ^ IBM. Advisories and fixes: exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com, ibm.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.685, percentile 99.3, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2020-4430”. 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.