CVE-2025-1139 is a vulnerability identified in IBM Edge Application Manager version 4.5, classified under CWE-732, which pertains to incorrect permission assignment for critical resources. This flaw allows a local user with limited privileges (low-level privileges) to read or modify resources that they should not be authorized to access. The vulnerability arises from improper access control mechanisms within the application, leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data or modification of critical resources. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.1, indicating a medium severity level. The vector string (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N) reveals that the attack requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), and low privileges (PR:L) but no user interaction (UI:N). The scope is unchanged (S:U), with low confidentiality impact (C:L), high integrity impact (I:H), and no availability impact (A:N). This means an attacker can alter critical data or configurations, potentially undermining system integrity without affecting system availability or causing significant data confidentiality loss. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability is significant in environments where IBM Edge Application Manager is deployed, especially in edge computing scenarios where local users might have limited but non-administrative access to the system. The flaw could be exploited by malicious insiders or attackers who have gained limited local access, enabling them to escalate their privileges or disrupt system operations by modifying critical resources improperly protected due to this permission misconfiguration.

For European organizations utilizing IBM Edge Application Manager 4.5, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to the integrity of their edge computing infrastructure. Edge Application Manager is used to orchestrate and manage edge devices and workloads, often in critical industrial, telecommunications, and IoT environments. Unauthorized modification of critical resources could lead to corrupted configurations, deployment of malicious workloads, or disruption of edge services. This can affect operational continuity, data accuracy, and trustworthiness of edge analytics or control systems. Given the increasing adoption of edge computing in sectors such as manufacturing, smart cities, and telecommunications across Europe, the impact could extend to critical infrastructure and services. Although the confidentiality impact is low, the high integrity impact means that attackers could manipulate system behavior or data, potentially causing cascading effects in automated or real-time systems. The requirement for local access limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate risk, especially in environments where multiple users have local access or where attackers can gain foothold via other means. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but organizations should proactively address the vulnerability to prevent future exploitation.

1. Apply patches or updates from IBM as soon as they become available for Edge Application Manager 4.5 to correct permission assignments. 2. Implement strict access control policies to limit local user access to only necessary systems and resources, minimizing the number of users with local access privileges. 3. Employ host-based intrusion detection and monitoring to detect unusual file access or modification activities related to Edge Application Manager resources. 4. Conduct regular audits of permission settings on critical files and resources managed by Edge Application Manager to ensure they conform to the principle of least privilege. 5. Use endpoint security solutions to prevent unauthorized local privilege escalation attempts and to monitor for suspicious behavior. 6. Segment network and system access to isolate edge management components, reducing the risk that a compromised local user can affect critical resources. 7. Train administrators and users on the risks of local privilege misuse and enforce strict operational security controls around edge management systems. These measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on minimizing local access, continuous monitoring, and proactive auditing of permissions specific to the affected product environment.