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Business Automation Workflow CVE-2021-29753

MEDIUM
Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information (CWE-319)
2021-11-05 psirt@us.ibm.com
5.9
CVSS 3.1 · NVD
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Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A04:2025 - Cryptographic Failures
ASVS 5.0
V12 - Secure Communication Transport encryption
Impact

CVSS score of 5.9 (MEDIUM). Attack characteristics: network attack vector, high complexity, no privileges required, no user interaction not required.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

This vulnerability can be exploited remotely over the network. Successful exploitation could compromise the medium-severity affected system.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
No patch listed yet 0.8% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAI

IBM Business Automation Workflow 18. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.

RemediationAI

No vendor patch is available at time of analysis. Monitor vendor advisories for updates. Apply vendor patches when available. Implement network segmentation and monitoring as interim mitigations.

Affects your stack

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Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-319. IBM Business Automation Workflow 18. 19, 20, 21, and IBM Business Process Manager 8.5 and d8.6 transmits or stores authentication credentials, but it uses an insecure method that is susceptible to unauthorized interception and/or retrieval. Affected products include: Ibm Business Automation Workflow, Ibm Business Process Manager.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY 5.9 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorNVD

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
High
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

DescriptionNVD

IBM Business Automation Workflow 18. 19, 20, 21, and IBM Business Process Manager 8.5 and d8.6 transmits or stores authentication credentials, but it uses an insecure method that is susceptible to unauthorized interception and/or retrieval.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.8%
Top 48% exploitable
Data Quality
2 sources
Confidence: Low

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.8%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact· derived
Medium

Priority Score

31
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: +1
CVSS: +30
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.

Affected Products (CPE)NVD

cpe:2.3:a:ibm:business_automation_workflow:18.0.0.0:*:*:*:-:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:business_automation_workflow:19.0.0.0:*:*:*:-:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:business_automation_workflow:20.0.0.0:*:*:*:-:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:business_automation_workflow:21.0.0.0:*:*:*:-:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:business_process_manager:8.5.0.0:*:*:*:-:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:business_process_manager:8.6.0.0:-:*:*:-:*:*:*
CVE-2018-1674 HIGH
8.8 Sep 20

IBM Business Process Manager 8.5 through 8.6 and 18.0.0.0 through 18.0.0.1 are vulnerable to SQL injection. Rated high s

CVE-2019-4424 HIGH
8.2 Aug 20

IBM Business Automation Workflow 18.0.0.0, 18.0.0.1, 18.0.0.2, 19.0.0.1, and 19.0.0.2 is vulnerable to an XML External E

CVE-2025-13096 HIGH
7.1 Feb 02

IBM Business Automation Workflow containers V25.0.0 through V25.0.0-IF007, V24.0.1 - V24.0.1-IF007, V24.0.0 - V24.0.0-IF

CVE-2024-38321 MEDIUM
6.5 Aug 03

IBM Business Automation Workflow 22.0.2, 23.0.1, 23.0.2, and 24.0.0 stores potentially sensitive information in log file

CVE-2022-22361 MEDIUM
6.5 May 31

IBM Business Automation Workflow traditional 21.0.1 through 21.0.3, 20.0.0.1 through 20.0.0.2, 19.0.0.1 through 19.0.0.3

CVE-2021-38900 MEDIUM
6.5 Dec 21

IBM Business Process Manager 8.5 and 8.6 and IBM Business Automation Workflow 18.0, 19.0, 20.0 and 21.0 could allow a pr

CVE-2025-36054 MEDIUM
6.1 Nov 06

IBM Business Automation Workflow containers 24.0.0 through 24.0.0-IF006, 24.0.1 through 24.0.1-IF004, 25.0.0 through 25.

CVE-2022-41735 MEDIUM
6.1 Dec 07

IBM Business Process Manager 21.0.1 through 21.0.3.1, 20.0.0.1 through 20.0.0.2 19.0.0.1 through 19.0.0.3 is vulnerable

CVE-2021-29835 MEDIUM
6.1 Oct 22

IBM Business Automation Workflow 18.0, 19.0, 20.0, and 21.0 is vulnerable to cross-site scripting. Rated medium severity

CVE-2020-4490 MEDIUM
6.1 May 29

IBM Business Automation Workflow 18 and 19, and IBM Business Process Manager 8.0, 8.5, and 8.6 could allow a remote atta

CVE-2018-1848 MEDIUM
6.1 Dec 14

IBM Business Automation Workflow 18.0.0.0 and 18.0.0.1 is vulnerable to cross-site scripting. Rated medium severity (CVS

CVE-2019-4425 MEDIUM
5.7 Aug 20

IBM Business Automation Workflow 18.0.0.0, 18.0.0.1, and 18.0.0.2 could allow a user to obtain highly sensitive informat

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