Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:HSummary
CVE-2024-49782 is a medium-severity Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch (CWE-297) vulnerability in Ibm Openpages With Watson. Its CVSS base score is 6.8 (Medium).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Adversary-in-the-Middle (T1557); ranked at the 29th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SC-17 (Public Key Infrastructure Certificates) and SC-23 (Session Authenticity) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2024-49782 affects IBM OpenPages with Watson versions 8.3 and 9.0, where the software could allow a remote attacker to spoof the mail server identity when using SSL/TLS security. This vulnerability stems from improper certificate validation, mapped to CWE-297 (Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch) and CWE-295 (Improper Certificate Validation). It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.8 (AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H), indicating medium severity with network accessibility, high attack complexity, low privileges required, high confidentiality impact, and high availability impact.
A remote attacker with low privileges could exploit this vulnerability to spoof the mail server identity during SSL/TLS connections used for email notifications generated by OpenPages. Successful exploitation would enable the attacker to access sensitive information disclosed through these notifications or disrupt their delivery entirely.
The IBM security advisory at https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7183541 provides details on mitigation, including available patches for the affected versions.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2025-4629
Vulnerability Data
IBM OpenPages with Watson 8.3 and 9.0 could allow a remote attacker to spoof mail server identity when using SSL/TLS security. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to gain access to sensitive information disclosed through email notifications generated by OpenPages…
more
or disrupt notification delivery.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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- 12 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
V17.2.8
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
PKI certificate issuance and acquisition under an approved policy establishes the trusted roots and processes needed for correct validation.
Protecting session authenticity structurally requires proper certificate validation to bind the presented certificate to the intended host.
Requiring confidentiality and integrity of transmitted data necessitates correct TLS certificate validation with host-name checking.
Security engineering principles require correct implementation of certificate validation (including hostname matching) when cryptography is used.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Certificate-based authentication of users/services/hardware directly depends on correct validation.
Protecting data-in-transit integrity depends on proper certificate validation to prevent MITM.
Secure development practices include coding correct certificate validation logic.
Assessing authenticity/integrity of acquired software often relies on code-signing certificate validation.
Identity assertions conveyed via certificates require validation to be verified.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing can detect missing certificate validation and host-mismatch checks.
Network security controls include certificate validation and host-name verification to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.
Security of network services requires proper TLS configuration and certificate validation for service endpoints.
Use of cryptography mandates correct implementation of certificate validation and hostname verification.
Application security requirements include secure communication and certificate validation for external services.
Secure system architecture principles require proper certificate validation to protect communications.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
Oracle Linux 8 (3 rules)
- V-248574 YUM must be configured to prevent the installation of patches, service packs, device drivers, or OL 8 system components that have not been digitally signed using a certificate that is recognized and approved by the organization. prevents CWE-295
- V-248531 OL 8, for PKI-based authentication, must validate certificates by constructing a certification path (which includes status information) to an accepted trust anchor. prevents CWE-295
- V-248575 OL 8 must prevent the installation of software, patches, service packs, device drivers, or operating system components of local packages without verification they have been digitally signed using a certificate that is issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) that is recognized and approved by the organization. prevents CWE-295
RHEL 7 (2 rules)
- V-204447 The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must prevent the installation of software, patches, service packs, device drivers, or operating system components from a repository without verification they have been digitally signed using a certificate that is issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) that is recognized and approved by the organization. prevents CWE-295
- V-204448 The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must prevent the installation of software, patches, service packs, device drivers, or operating system components of local packages without verification they have been digitally signed using a certificate that is issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) that is recognized and approved by the organization. prevents CWE-295
RHEL 8 (2 rules)
- V-230264 RHEL 8 must prevent the installation of software, patches, service packs, device drivers, or operating system components from a repository without verification they have been digitally signed using a certificate that is issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) that is recognized and approved by the organization. prevents CWE-295
- V-230265 RHEL 8 must prevent the installation of software, patches, service packs, device drivers, or operating system components of local packages without verification they have been digitally signed using a certificate that is issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) that is recognized and approved by the organization. prevents CWE-295