Vulnerability Snapshot
CVE-2020-4207 is rated CRITICAL — exploitation is trivial or already observed in the wild and impact is severe. Patch immediately, not on the next maintenance window.
Affected technology: iot_messagesight, watson_iot_platform_-_message_gateway, linux_kernel.
Executive Summary
IBM Watson IoT Message Gateway 2.0.0.x, 5.0.0.0, 5.0.0.1, and 5.0.0.2 is vulnerable to a buffer overflow, caused by improper bounds checking when handling a failed HTTP request with specific content in the headers. By sending a specially crafted HTTP request, a remote attacker could overflow a buffer and execute arbitrary code on the system or cause a denial of service. IBM X-Force ID: 174972.
Why It Matters
CVE-2020-4207 is rated CRITICAL severity, requiring immediate attention from security teams.
CVSS Base Score: 9.8/10
Affected Technologies
Vendors: ibm, linux
Products: iot_messagesight, watson_iot_platform_-_message_gateway, linux_kernel
🛡️What Defenders Should Check
Use Vulnios to continuously monitor your exposure to CVE-2020-4207 and similar vulnerabilities.
References & Sources
How Vulnios Detects This
Vulnios scans for this vulnerability using Trivy and Grype for CVE matching against your container images and OS package manifests. Run a scan against your environment to see whether you are exposed; findings are linked back to the original CVE record so triage starts with the patch path already known.
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Affected Products
Sources
Related Threat Alerts
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2020-27583 — ibm — infosphere_information_server
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2020-4958 — ibm — security_identity_governance_and_intelligence
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2020-4899 — ibm — api_connect
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2020-4988 — ibm — loopback
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2020-4747 — ibm — connect\
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2020-4627 — ibm — cloud_pak_for_security
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2020-4207?
CVE-2020-4207 is a critical-severity vulnerability tracked under the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures program. IBM Watson IoT Message Gateway 2.0.0.x, 5.0.0.0, 5.0.0.1, and 5.0.0.2 is vulnerable to a buffer overflow, caused by improper bounds checking when handling a failed HTTP request with specific content i
Am I affected?
Check whether your environment runs iot_messagesight, watson_iot_platform_-_message_gateway, linux_kernel. If you operate any of those, treat yourself as in scope until you have evidence otherwise. A Vulnios scan will identify the exact assets carrying the affected version.
How urgent is the response?
Critical: do not wait for your normal patch cycle. Verify exposure today, apply the vendor patch immediately, and add detection rules for any post-exploit indicators.
How do I remediate?
Apply the vendor patch listed in the upstream advisory linked under Sources. If the patch is not yet available, follow the vendor-supplied workaround (often a config flag or feature disable) and add detections for the published exploit pattern in your SIEM. Re-scan after the patch lands to confirm the finding clears.
Where can I track exploitation activity?
Watch CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog for CVE-2020-4207. Cross-reference with public exploit databases and your own SIEM/IDS for indicator-of-compromise patterns. Vulnios tracks KEV status automatically and surfaces it on the asset findings view.
How does Vulnios help with this?
Vulnios continuously cross-references your asset inventory against the live CVE feed (NVD, vendor advisories, CISA KEV, and curated OSINT). When a new CVE matches your environment, you get a prioritized finding with the severity, KEV status, exploit-prediction (EPSS), and a direct path to the vendor patch. You can start a free scan from the homepage.
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