CVE-2025-36361
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in IBM App Connect Enterprise allows authenticated users to perform unauthorized actions on customer-defined resources due to missing authorization checks. It affects IBM App Connect Enterprise versions 12.0.1.0 through 12.0.12.17 and 13.0.1.0 through 13.0.4.2. Attackers with valid credentials could manipulate resources they shouldn't have access to.
💻 Affected Systems
- IBM App Connect Enterprise
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An authenticated attacker could modify, delete, or create customer-defined resources, potentially disrupting business processes, stealing sensitive data, or causing denial of service.
Likely Case
An authenticated user with limited permissions could escalate privileges to perform unauthorized actions on resources, leading to data manipulation or service disruption.
If Mitigated
With proper network segmentation, least privilege access controls, and monitoring, impact would be limited to isolated resources with minimal business impact.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access. The vulnerability is in authorization logic, making exploitation straightforward once authenticated.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Apply IBM App Connect Enterprise 12.0.12.18 or later, or 13.0.4.3 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7249061
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Download the latest fix pack from IBM Fix Central. 2. Apply the fix pack following IBM's installation instructions. 3. Verify the installation completed successfully.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Implement strict access controls
allApply principle of least privilege to all user accounts and service accounts accessing IBM App Connect Enterprise
Network segmentation
allRestrict network access to IBM App Connect Enterprise management interfaces to only authorized administrative networks
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict role-based access control (RBAC) with minimal necessary permissions
- Enable detailed audit logging and monitor for unauthorized resource access attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check the IBM App Connect Enterprise version via the administrative console or command line. If version is between 12.0.1.0-12.0.12.17 or 13.0.1.0-13.0.4.2, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
mqsiversion (on Windows: mqsiversion.exe)Verify Fix Applied:
Verify the installed version is 12.0.12.18 or later, or 13.0.4.3 or later. Test authorization controls for customer-defined resources.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized access attempts to customer-defined resources
- Unexpected modifications to resource configurations
- Failed authorization checks in audit logs
Network Indicators:
- Unusual API calls to resource management endpoints from non-admin accounts
- Increased traffic to administrative interfaces
SIEM Query:
source="ibm_app_connect" AND (event_type="authorization_failure" OR resource_access="unauthorized")