CVE-2025-27367
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows authenticated users to bypass client-side validation in IBM OpenPages with Watson, enabling them to save GRC Objects without providing required fields. It affects versions 8.3 and 9.0 of the software, potentially compromising data integrity and compliance.
💻 Affected Systems
- IBM OpenPages with Watson
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could create incomplete or malformed GRC Objects that bypass business logic, leading to compliance violations, audit failures, or incorrect risk assessments.
Likely Case
Users inadvertently or intentionally bypass required field validation, creating incomplete records that affect reporting accuracy and compliance workflows.
If Mitigated
With proper server-side validation and input sanitization, the impact is limited to potential user interface confusion without data integrity compromise.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access and knowledge of the API/endpoints for GRC Objects.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Apply fixes per IBM advisory
Vendor Advisory: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7239155
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Review IBM advisory for specific fix details
2. Apply IBM-provided patches or updates
3. Restart OpenPages services
4. Verify server-side validation is enforced
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Implement server-side validation
allAdd server-side validation for all GRC Object fields to complement client-side checks
Restrict API access
allLimit access to GRC Object creation/modification endpoints to authorized users only
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network segmentation to isolate OpenPages systems
- Enable detailed logging and monitoring for GRC Object modifications
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Test if GRC Objects can be saved without required fields by bypassing client-side validationCheck Version:
Check OpenPages version in administration console or via product documentationVerify Fix Applied:
Verify that server rejects GRC Object submissions missing required fields regardless of client-side manipulation📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual GRC Object creation/modification patterns
- API calls attempting to bypass field validation
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to GRC Object endpoints with missing required parameters
SIEM Query:
source="openpages" AND (event="grc_object_create" OR event="grc_object_modify") AND (missing_fields=true OR validation_bypass=true)