CVE-2025-1330 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in IBM CICS TX Standard 11.1 and IBM CICS TX Advanced versions 10.1 and 11.1. The vulnerability arises from an out-of-bounds write condition (CWE-787) caused by improper handling of DNS return requests within the gethostbyname function. This flaw allows a local user with limited privileges (low complexity attack with privileges required) to execute arbitrary code on the affected system. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as successful exploitation can lead to full system compromise. The root cause is a failure to properly validate or handle DNS response data, leading to memory corruption. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.8, reflecting high severity with attack vector local, low attack complexity, privileges required, no user interaction, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability poses a significant risk to organizations running the affected IBM CICS TX versions, especially given the critical role of CICS TX in transaction processing environments. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows code execution from a local user, which could be an insider threat or an attacker who has gained limited access to the system. IBM has not yet published patches or mitigation details, so organizations must prioritize monitoring and risk assessment.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-1330 could be substantial, particularly in sectors relying on IBM CICS TX for critical transaction processing such as banking, insurance, telecommunications, and government services. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized code execution, data breaches, service disruptions, and potential regulatory non-compliance under GDPR due to loss of confidentiality and integrity of sensitive data. The local attack vector means that attackers must have some level of access, but insider threats or lateral movement within networks could leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges or disrupt operations. Given the high availability impact, critical business processes could be interrupted, causing financial loss and reputational damage. The lack of known exploits currently provides a window for proactive defense, but the risk remains high due to the nature of the vulnerability and the importance of the affected systems in European critical infrastructure.

1. Immediate risk assessment to identify all systems running IBM CICS TX Standard 11.1 and Advanced 10.1/11.1 within the environment. 2. Restrict local user access to systems running the affected software to only trusted personnel and implement strict access controls and monitoring to detect suspicious activity. 3. Employ application whitelisting and endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 4. Network segmentation to limit lateral movement opportunities for attackers who gain local access. 5. Monitor IBM security advisories closely for the release of official patches or workarounds and prioritize rapid deployment once available. 6. Conduct regular security training and awareness to reduce insider threat risks. 7. Implement DNS request monitoring and validation where possible to detect malformed or suspicious DNS responses that could trigger the vulnerability. 8. Consider temporary compensating controls such as disabling or restricting the use of the gethostbyname function if feasible within operational constraints.