CVE-2025-36159
📋 TL;DR
IBM Concert versions 1.0.0 through 2.0.0 have a log file forgery vulnerability where local users can manipulate log entries to impersonate other users or conceal their activities. This occurs due to improper output neutralization in log handling. Only local authenticated users can exploit this vulnerability.
💻 Affected Systems
- IBM Concert
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker could forge audit logs to frame legitimate users for malicious activities, hide their own unauthorized actions, or create false evidence that misdirects investigations.
Likely Case
Malicious insiders or compromised local accounts altering logs to cover tracks or create confusion during incident response.
If Mitigated
With proper log integrity controls and monitoring, forged entries could be detected through log analysis or integrity checks.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and knowledge of log file locations/format. No public exploit code has been identified.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: IBM Concert 2.0.1 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7252019
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download IBM Concert 2.0.1 or later from IBM Fix Central. 2. Backup current installation and configuration. 3. Stop IBM Concert services. 4. Apply the update following IBM's installation guide. 5. Restart services and verify functionality.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict log file permissions
linuxSet strict file permissions on IBM Concert log directories to prevent unauthorized modification
chmod 640 /path/to/concert/logs/*
chown root:concert /path/to/concert/logs/*
Implement log integrity monitoring
allUse file integrity monitoring tools to detect unauthorized changes to log files
# Configure tools like AIDE, Tripwire, or OSSEC to monitor Concert log directories
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls to limit local user access to IBM Concert systems
- Enable comprehensive audit logging with centralized collection and integrity checks
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check IBM Concert version via administrative interface or configuration files. Versions 1.0.0 through 2.0.0 are vulnerable.Check Version:
Check the version.properties file or use the Concert administrative console to view version informationVerify Fix Applied:
Verify installation of IBM Concert 2.0.1 or later and confirm log file handling properly neutralizes user input.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected log entries with mismatched timestamps
- Log entries showing user impersonation
- Missing expected audit events for user activities
Network Indicators:
- No network indicators - this is a local file manipulation vulnerability
SIEM Query:
Search for log entries where user identity changes unexpectedly or audit trails show inconsistencies in user attribution