CVE-2016-2992 IBM CVE debrief

Who should care

Administrators and security teams responsible for IBM InfoSphere BigInsights 4.2, especially environments where the Web UI is reachable by multiple users or where trusted sessions carry elevated access.

Technical summary

The NVD entry classifies this as CWE-79 (cross-site scripting) with CVSS 3.0 vector CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N. The affected CPE in the supplied record is IBM InfoSphere BigInsights 4.2. The vulnerability is described as allowing arbitrary JavaScript injection in the Web UI, which can affect session integrity and may lead to credential disclosure in a trusted browser session.

Defensive priority

Medium. Prioritize remediation if the BigInsights Web UI is exposed to users with access to sensitive data or privileged sessions, because the impact includes session compromise and credential disclosure risk.

Recommended defensive actions

• Apply the IBM patch or remediation guidance referenced in the vendor advisory.
• Review access to the BigInsights Web UI and limit exposure to trusted users only.
• Treat any unexpected script behavior in the Web UI as a potential security incident and investigate affected sessions.
• Validate that the deployed BigInsights version matches the affected CPE scope in the NVD record before and after remediation.

Evidence notes

Source evidence comes from the NVD CVE record for CVE-2016-2992, which lists IBM InfoSphere BigInsights 4.2 as vulnerable and identifies CWE-79. The record also cites an IBM support document as a patch/vendor advisory reference and a SecurityFocus entry as a third-party advisory. Publication time used here is the CVE/NVD published date, 2017-02-01, with the record later modified on 2026-05-13.

Official resources