Overview
The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) system has recently identified a critical security vulnerability in IBM Jazz Foundation versions 7.0.2 to 7.1.0, labeled as CVE-2025-36157. This vulnerability, if exploited, could potentially allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to alter server property files, enabling them to carry out unauthorized actions. This compromise not only poses a threat to system integrity but also opens avenues for data leakage, which could have severe repercussions for the organizations using this software.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-36157
Severity: Critical (9.8/10)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Unauthorized access, potential system compromise, and data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
IBM Jazz Foundation | 7.0.2 to 7.0.2 iFix035
IBM Jazz Foundation | 7.0.3 to 7.0.3 iFix018
IBM Jazz Foundation | 7.1.0 to 7.1.0 iFix004
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability lies in the lack of proper authentication mechanisms for server property file updates in IBM Jazz Foundation. This allows an attacker to remotely send requests to alter these files. Once the server property files are modified, the attacker can manipulate the system’s behavior, leading to unauthorized actions such as data extraction, altering system configurations, or even a full system compromise.
Conceptual Example Code
Here is a conceptual example of how this vulnerability might be exploited. An attacker could send a malicious HTTP POST request to the server, containing payload to modify the server property files.
POST /server_property_file_update_endpoint HTTP/1.1
Host: target.ibmjazzfoundation.com
Content-Type: application/json
{
"property_file": "system_config",
"changes": {
"admin_password": "new_password",
"enable_feature_x": "true"
}
}In this example, the attacker is attempting to change the administrator password and enable a certain feature, thereby gaining unauthorized access and control over the system.
Mitigation
IBM has issued patches for all the affected versions of IBM Jazz Foundation. Users are strongly advised to apply these patches immediately to close this vulnerability. In case immediate patching is not feasible, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide a temporary mitigation by blocking or alerting on suspicious activities.