CVE-2025-12985: IBM Licensing Operator · Incorrect Permissions
Affects IBM Licensing OperatorSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.4 High.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 10:12 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 3% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 20 Jan 2026
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 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| IBMIBM Licensing Operator | Affected
| Fixed in– |
CPE configurations (4)
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:license_metric_tool:9.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:a:ibm:license_metric_tool:9.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:a:ibm:license_metric_tool:9.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:a:ibm:license_metric_tool:9.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
AI-suggested
Until IBM releases an official patch, European organizations should implement the following mitigations: 1) Restrict access to containers running IBM Licensing Operator to trusted administrators only, enforcing strict RBAC policies. 2) Employ container runtime security tools to monitor and alert on privilege escalation attempts and anomalous file permission changes. 3) Use container image scanning to detect and block vulnerable IBM Licensing Operator versions from deployment. 4) Run containers with the least privilege principle, avoiding running containers as root where possible or using user namespaces to isolate privileges. 5) Regularly audit container file permissions and configurations to identify and remediate insecure settings. 6) Segment container workloads to limit lateral movement if a container is compromised. 7) Prepare for rapid patch deployment once IBM releases fixes by maintaining an up-to-date inventory of affected versions in use. These targeted actions go beyond generic advice by focusing on container-specific controls and operational practices relevant to this vulnerability.
Description
IBM Licensing Operator incorrectly assigns privileges to security critical files which could allow a local root escalation inside a container running the IBM Licensing Operator image.