CVE-2023-49883VulnerabilityPublished 1 Oct 2025

CVE-2023-49883: IBM Transformation Extender Advanced · Weak Password Requirements

Affects IBM Transformation Extender AdvancedSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.9 Medium.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.9Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 19% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: High
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: High: A successful attack depends on conditions beyond the attacker's control. That is, a successful attack cannot be accomplished at will, but requires the attacker to invest in some measurable amount of effort in preparation or execution against the vulnerable component before a successful attack can be expected. For example, a successful attack may require an attacker to: gather knowledge about the environment in which the vulnerable target/component exists; prepare the target environment to improve exploit reliability; or inject themselves into the logical network path between the target and the resource requested by the victim in order to read and/or modify network communications (e.g., a man in the middle attack).
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 1 Oct 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-26.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
IBM Transformation Extender Advanced	Affected =10.0.1	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should immediately enforce strong password policies on IBM Transformation Extender Advanced 10.0.1 installations. This includes requiring minimum password length, complexity (mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters), and periodic password changes. Organizations should audit existing user accounts for weak passwords and mandate resets where necessary. Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for access to the platform can significantly reduce the risk of account compromise even if passwords are weak. Network-level protections such as IP whitelisting, VPN access, or segmentation should be applied to restrict access to the management interfaces. Monitoring and alerting on multiple failed login attempts can help detect brute force attempts early. Until IBM releases an official patch or update, organizations should consider disabling or limiting remote access to the platform’s administrative interfaces. Regular security awareness training for users emphasizing strong password hygiene is also recommended. Finally, organizations should keep abreast of IBM advisories for any forthcoming patches addressing this vulnerability.

Description

IBM Transformation Extender Advanced 10.0.1 does not require that users should have strong passwords by default, which makes it easier for attackers to compromise user accounts.

Impact

For European organizations using IBM Transformation Extender Advanced 10.0.1, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or proprietary data processed by the platform. Given that the vulnerability affects confidentiality but not integrity or availability, the primary risk is data leakage or exposure of business-critical information. This is particularly concerning for industries with strict data protection regulations such as GDPR, where unauthorized access to personal data can result in significant legal and financial penalties. Attackers exploiting weak password policies could gain access to integration workflows or data transformation processes, potentially exposing sensitive customer or operational data. The medium severity rating suggests that while exploitation requires some effort (high attack complexity), the lack of authentication and user interaction requirements means the attack surface is broad. European organizations with limited internal password policy enforcement or those relying on default configurations are at higher risk. The threat also underscores the importance of strong identity and access management practices in protecting critical middleware and integration platforms.

CWE-521Weak Password Requirements (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessOWASP Top 10 A07:2025: Authentication Failures (opens in a new tab)
The product does not require that users should have strong passwords.
Architecture and Design
A product's design should require adherance to an appropriate password policy. Specific password requirements depend strongly on contextual factors, but it is recommended to contain the following attributes: Enforcement of a minimum and maximum length; Restrictions against password reuse; Restrictions against using…
Architecture and Design
Consider a second authentication factor beyond the password, which prevents the password from being a single point of failure. See CWE-308 for further information.
Implementation
Consider implementing a password complexity meter to inform users when a chosen password meets the required attributes.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
OWASP Authentication (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V2.1.2 (opens in a new tab)
V2.1.4 (opens in a new tab)
V2.1.3 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Dictionary-based Password Attack (opens in a new tab)
Password Brute Forcing (opens in a new tab)
Kerberoasting (opens in a new tab)
Rainbow Table Password Cracking (opens in a new tab)
Remote Services with Stolen Credentials (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

ibm.com/support/pages/node/7246885 (opens in a new tab)

Community reviews

Loading reviews…

Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 4 Oct 2025, 10:47 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-521

Technical details

References

Community reviews

Related threats