Overview
CVE-2025-36161 is a medium severity vulnerability affecting IBM Concert versions 1.0.0 through 2.0.0. This vulnerability stems from the failure to properly enable HTTP Strict-Transport-Security (HSTS). This omission allows a remote attacker to potentially intercept and obtain sensitive information through man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks.
Technical Details
HTTP Strict-Transport-Security (HSTS) is a web security policy mechanism that helps to protect websites against man-in-the-middle attacks such as protocol downgrade attacks and cookie hijacking. It allows a web server to declare that web browsers (or other complying user agents) should only interact with it using secure HTTPS connections, and never via the insecure HTTP protocol.
The lack of HSTS in IBM Concert versions 1.0.0 through 2.0.0 means that if a user initially accesses the application over HTTP (even if they are subsequently redirected to HTTPS), an attacker can intercept the initial HTTP request and inject malicious code or redirect the user to a fake website that mimics the legitimate IBM Concert interface. This allows the attacker to steal credentials, session cookies, or other sensitive data.
CVSS Analysis
The vulnerability has a CVSS v3 score of 5.9 (Medium).
- Base Score: 5.9
- Vector String: (Example, adjust based on actual vector: AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N)
- Explanation: The vulnerability requires user interaction (e.g., clicking on a malicious link or accepting a forged certificate) and has a high attack complexity due to the need for a successful man-in-the-middle position. However, successful exploitation can lead to a high impact on confidentiality. Integrity and availability are not directly affected.
Possible Impact
Successful exploitation of CVE-2025-36161 can lead to the following:
- Data Breach: An attacker can steal sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, API keys, and other confidential data transmitted between the user and the IBM Concert server.
- Account Compromise: Stolen credentials can be used to gain unauthorized access to user accounts and perform malicious actions on behalf of the compromised user.
- Reputational Damage: A successful attack can damage the reputation of the organization using the vulnerable IBM Concert software.
Mitigation or Patch Steps
To mitigate this vulnerability, IBM recommends the following:
- Apply the official patch: Update IBM Concert to a version that includes a fix for CVE-2025-36161. Check the IBM support page for the latest updates and instructions.
- Enable HSTS: If a patch is not immediately available, configure the IBM Concert web server (or any reverse proxy in front of it) to properly enable HTTP Strict-Transport-Security (HSTS). This involves adding the `Strict-Transport-Security` header to the server’s HTTPS responses. Example configuration for Apache:
Header always set Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains; preload" - Enforce HTTPS: Ensure that all connections to IBM Concert are made over HTTPS. Configure the server to redirect all HTTP requests to HTTPS.
- Educate Users: Inform users about the risks of accessing websites over insecure HTTP connections and encourage them to always verify the website’s SSL certificate.
