CVE-2025-36183
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in IBM watsonx.data allows privileged users to upload malicious files that could be executed on the server, potentially modifying limited files or data. It affects IBM watsonx.data Lakehouse installations version 2.2 through 2.2.1. The risk is primarily to organizations using these specific versions of IBM's data platform.
💻 Affected Systems
- IBM watsonx.data Lakehouse
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Privileged user uploads malicious executable that modifies critical system files or data, potentially causing data corruption, service disruption, or unauthorized data access.
Likely Case
Privileged user with malicious intent or compromised credentials uploads files that modify application data or configuration files within the watsonx.data environment.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and file validation, impact is limited to authorized modifications within the user's permitted scope.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires privileged user credentials; file upload and execution mechanisms are standard features.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Apply fix as described in IBM advisory
Vendor Advisory: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7260118
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Review IBM advisory at provided URL
2. Apply the recommended fix from IBM
3. Restart watsonx.data services
4. Verify the fix is applied
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict file upload permissions
allLimit file upload capabilities to only necessary privileged users and implement strict file type validation.
Implement file validation
allAdd server-side validation to reject potentially malicious file types and scan uploaded files.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls to limit privileged user accounts
- Monitor file upload activities and audit privileged user actions
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check IBM watsonx.data version; if running 2.2 through 2.2.1, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
Consult IBM watsonx.data documentation for version check command specific to your deployment.Verify Fix Applied:
Verify version is updated beyond 2.2.1 or confirm fix from IBM advisory is applied.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual file upload patterns by privileged users
- Execution of unexpected file types
Network Indicators:
- Large or unusual file uploads to watsonx.data endpoints
SIEM Query:
source="watsonx.data" AND (event_type="file_upload" OR event_type="file_execution") AND user_privilege="high"