Overview
The CVE-2025-33109 is a critical vulnerability that affects IBM i versions 7.2 through 7.6. This vulnerability could allow a bad actor to escalate privileges and execute a database procedure or function without required permissions. Moreover, this vulnerability could also lead to a denial of service for some database actions. This is a significant issue that requires immediate attention due to the potential for system compromise or data leakage.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-33109
Severity: High (7.5 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Impact: Privilege escalation and potential denial of service
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
IBM i | 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, and 7.6
How the Exploit Works
The exploit works by taking advantage of an invalid database authority check in IBM i. A bad actor could execute a database procedure or function without having all required permissions, essentially bypassing the security measures in place. This could lead to a privilege escalation, granting the attacker access to sensitive data and system capabilities. Additionally, this exploit could also cause a denial of service for some database actions.
Conceptual Example Code
This is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. This is not actual exploit code but an illustration of the potential attack mechanism.
EXECUTE AS USER = 'low_privilege_user'
GO
-- This is a function/procedure that should require higher privileges
EXECUTE dbo.vulnerable_procedure
GOIn this example, a low-privileged user is executing a database procedure that normally requires higher privileges. The invalid authority check in IBM i versions 7.2 through 7.6 allows this to happen without raising any security flags.
Mitigation Guidance
The best way to mitigate this vulnerability is by applying the vendor patch as soon as it becomes available. In the interim, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) may provide temporary mitigation. However, this should not be considered a long-term solution, as it does not address the root cause of the vulnerability.
