CVE-2025-36034
📋 TL;DR
IBM InfoSphere DataStage Flow Designer in IBM InfoSphere Information Server 11.7 transmits sensitive user information in unencrypted API requests, allowing attackers to intercept this data via man-in-the-middle attacks. This affects organizations using the vulnerable version of IBM InfoSphere Information Server. The vulnerability exposes user credentials and other sensitive information.
💻 Affected Systems
- IBM InfoSphere Information Server
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers intercept administrative credentials, gain full access to the InfoSphere environment, and exfiltrate sensitive data or disrupt operations.
Likely Case
Attackers capture user credentials or session tokens, leading to unauthorized access to the DataStage Flow Designer and potential data exposure.
If Mitigated
With proper network segmentation and encryption, the risk is limited to internal network segments where attackers have already gained access.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires network access to intercept unencrypted traffic. No authentication bypass needed if traffic is intercepted.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Apply the fix as specified in IBM Security Bulletin
Vendor Advisory: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7237604
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Review IBM Security Bulletin. 2. Download and apply the fix from IBM Fix Central. 3. Restart the InfoSphere Information Server services. 4. Verify the fix by testing API requests.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Enable TLS Encryption
allConfigure the DataStage Flow Designer to use HTTPS/TLS for all API communications to encrypt sensitive data in transit.
Configure SSL/TLS in IBM InfoSphere Information Server administration console
Network Segmentation
allRestrict network access to the DataStage Flow Designer to trusted internal networks only.
Implement firewall rules to limit access to specific IP ranges
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate the vulnerable system in a segmented network with strict access controls.
- Monitor network traffic for unencrypted API requests and implement intrusion detection.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if IBM InfoSphere Information Server version is 11.7 and review API traffic for unencrypted sensitive data.Check Version:
Check the version in the IBM InfoSphere Information Server administration console or via command line: versionInfo.sh (Linux) or versionInfo.bat (Windows)Verify Fix Applied:
After applying the patch, verify that API requests are encrypted and no sensitive data is transmitted in clear text.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Log entries showing unencrypted API requests with sensitive data
- Failed login attempts or unusual access patterns
Network Indicators:
- Unencrypted HTTP traffic to DataStage Flow Designer API endpoints
- Suspicious network sniffing activity
SIEM Query:
source="network_traffic" AND dest_port=9080 AND protocol="HTTP" AND (content="password" OR content="token")