CVE-2025-13491
📋 TL;DR
IBM App Connect Enterprise Certified Container versions up to 12.19.0 (Continuous Delivery) and 12.0 LTS (Long Term Support) contain an untrusted search path vulnerability (CWE-426) that could allow attackers to access sensitive files or modify configurations. This affects organizations using these containerized integration solutions. Attackers could potentially escalate privileges or compromise system integrity.
💻 Affected Systems
- IBM App Connect Enterprise Certified Container
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attacker gains unauthorized access to sensitive configuration files, modifies system settings, or executes arbitrary code with container privileges, potentially leading to data exfiltration or system takeover.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to configuration files containing credentials, API keys, or connection strings, enabling further lateral movement or data access.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper container isolation, file permissions, and network segmentation preventing exploitation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires some level of access to the container environment; path manipulation attacks typically need existing foothold.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 12.19.0.1 or later for Continuous Delivery; check IBM advisory for LTS patches
Vendor Advisory: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7259746
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Review IBM advisory for specific patch versions. 2. Update container images to patched versions. 3. Redeploy containers with updated images. 4. Verify container functionality post-update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict container file system access
linuxImplement strict file permissions and mount points to limit access to sensitive directories
docker run --read-only --tmpfs /tmp
Use Docker security options like --security-opt no-new-privileges
Implement container runtime security
linuxUse container security tools to monitor and restrict file access patterns
Use SELinux/AppArmor profiles for containers
Implement seccomp filters
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate vulnerable containers from sensitive systems
- Deploy file integrity monitoring to detect unauthorized configuration changes
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check container image version: docker images | grep ibm-app-connect-enterpriseCheck Version:
docker exec <container_name> /opt/ibm/ace/bin/versionInfo.shVerify Fix Applied:
Verify updated version is deployed: docker ps --format 'table {{.Image}} {{.Names}}' | grep ibm-app-connect-enterprise📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized file access attempts in container logs
- Unexpected configuration file modifications
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from containers to sensitive systems
SIEM Query:
source="docker" AND (event="file_access" OR event="config_change") AND container_image="*ibm-app-connect-enterprise*"