Overview
CVE-2025-36049 is a critical security vulnerability that affects IBM’s webMethods Integration Server versions 10.5, 10.7, 10.11, and 10.15. It exposes these systems to an XML External Entity (XXE) injection attack, which can be exploited by remote authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands. This exploit can potentially compromise the entire system or lead to significant data leakage, emphasizing the need for immediate attention and remediation.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-36049
Severity: High (8.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low (Authenticated User)
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
IBM webMethods Integration Server | 10.5
IBM webMethods Integration Server | 10.7
IBM webMethods Integration Server | 10.11
IBM webMethods Integration Server | 10.15
How the Exploit Works
This exploit takes advantage of an XXE vulnerability in the IBM webMethods Integration Server. The server lacks proper sanitization for XML data, causing it to process malicious XML inputs. An authenticated attacker can embed external entities within an XML document, which the server then processes. This can lead to the unintended disclosure of internal files, Denial of Service (DoS), or even remote code execution, enabling the attacker to compromise the entire system.
Conceptual Example Code
POST /XMLProcessingEndpoint HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/xml
Authorization: Bearer [Token]
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
<!ELEMENT foo ANY >
<!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "file:///etc/passwd">]>
<foo>&xxe;</foo>The above example demonstrates a conceptual XXE attack. The attacker sends a malicious XML document containing an entity that references an internal file (`/etc/passwd`). The server processes the XML document and replaces the `&xxe;` entity with the content of the referenced file, disclosing system information to the attacker.
Preventing the Exploit: Mitigation Guidance
IBM has released patches to resolve this vulnerability in the affected versions of the webMethods Integration Server. System administrators should ensure that these patches are applied immediately to prevent exploitation.
As a temporary mitigation, Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) or Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) can be configured to detect and block XXE attacks. However, this should not be considered a long-term solution. It’s always best to apply vendor patches to ensure the system is fully protected from known vulnerabilities.