Overview
A critical directory traversal vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-36357, has been discovered in IBM Planning Analytics Local versions 2.1.0 through 2.1.14. This vulnerability allows a remote, authenticated attacker to potentially read, write, or view arbitrary files on the affected system by crafting a malicious URL request. This poses a significant risk to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive data.
Technical Details
CVE-2025-36357 is a directory traversal vulnerability. It arises due to insufficient input validation on user-supplied data within the application. An attacker can exploit this by injecting “../” sequences (or similar directory traversal characters) into a URL request. This allows the attacker to bypass intended security restrictions and access files and directories outside of the intended application scope. Since authentication is required, the attacker needs valid credentials to initiate the attack. However, once authenticated, the crafted URL allows them to move freely within the file system.
CVSS Analysis
This vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS score of 8.0, indicating a HIGH severity. The CVSS vector reflects the potential for significant impact:
- Attack Vector: Network
- Attack Complexity: Low
- Privileges Required: Low
- User Interaction: None
- Scope: Changed
- Confidentiality Impact: High
- Integrity Impact: High
- Availability Impact: None
The high score is due to the ease of exploitation and the potential for complete system compromise.
Possible Impact
Successful exploitation of CVE-2025-36357 can lead to severe consequences, including:
- Data Breach: Exposure of sensitive data, including financial records, customer information, and internal documents.
- System Compromise: Ability to modify critical system files, potentially leading to denial-of-service conditions or complete system takeover.
- Privilege Escalation: Gaining higher-level access to the system, allowing the attacker to perform administrative tasks.
- Data Manipulation: Altering critical data within the Planning Analytics Local system, leading to inaccurate reports and faulty business decisions.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
IBM has released a fix to address this vulnerability. It is strongly recommended that all users of IBM Planning Analytics Local versions 2.1.0 through 2.1.14 take the following steps immediately:
- Apply the latest fix pack: Upgrade to a version of IBM Planning Analytics Local that includes the security fix for CVE-2025-36357. Consult the IBM support documentation (see references) for the specific version and instructions.
- Review Access Controls: Ensure that access controls are properly configured and that users have only the necessary privileges to perform their tasks.
- Web Application Firewall (WAF): Consider implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules to detect and block directory traversal attempts. This can provide an additional layer of protection.
- Regular Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.
