VulnerabilityPublished 15 Dec 2025Updated 26 Dec 2025

CVE-2025-13489: UCD – IBM DevOps Deploy · Cleartext Transmission

Affects UCD – IBM DevOps DeploySource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.9 Medium.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 12:29 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.9Medium

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

EPSS: 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 8% 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 15 Dec 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 26 Oct 2026.

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 or the CVSS exploit maturity 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 UCD - IBM DevOps Deploy	Affected =8.1	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2025-13489, European organizations should immediately assess their IBM DevOps Deploy 8.1 deployments for exposure to unencrypted network traffic. Specific recommendations include: 1) Enforce the use of TLS or other strong encryption protocols for all communications involving IBM DevOps Deploy components, ensuring that no sensitive data is transmitted in cleartext. 2) Implement strict network segmentation and isolate deployment infrastructure from untrusted networks to reduce the risk of MitM attacks. 3) Use VPNs or secure tunnels for remote access to deployment environments. 4) Monitor network traffic for signs of interception or anomalous activity indicative of MitM attempts. 5) Regularly update and patch IBM DevOps Deploy as vendor fixes become available, even though no patches are currently listed. 6) Review and harden configuration settings to disable any legacy or insecure protocols. 7) Educate DevOps and security teams about the risks of cleartext transmission and best practices for securing deployment pipelines. 8) Conduct penetration testing focusing on network interception vulnerabilities to validate mitigations. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on encryption enforcement, network architecture, and proactive detection tailored to the specific deployment context of IBM DevOps Deploy.

Description

IBM UCD - IBM DevOps Deploy 8.1 through 8.1.2.3 IBM DevOps Deploy transmits data in clear text that could allow an attacker to obtain sensitive information using man in the middle techniques.

Impact

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk to the confidentiality of sensitive deployment and operational data transmitted by IBM DevOps Deploy 8.1. Exposure of such information could lead to unauthorized access to deployment environments, intellectual property theft, or disruption of software delivery pipelines. Organizations in sectors with stringent data protection requirements, such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure, could face compliance risks under GDPR and other regulations if sensitive data is intercepted. The impact is heightened in environments where network segmentation is weak or where communications traverse untrusted networks. Although the vulnerability does not directly affect system integrity or availability, the compromise of sensitive information could enable subsequent attacks with more severe consequences. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers develop new techniques. European entities using IBM DevOps Deploy in multi-tenant or cloud environments should be particularly vigilant, as MitM attacks are more feasible in such contexts.

Summary

CVE-2025-13489 is a vulnerability identified in IBM UrbanCode Deploy (UCD) - IBM DevOps Deploy version 8.1 through 8.1.2.3, where sensitive data is transmitted in cleartext over the network. This weakness corresponds to CWE-319, which involves the cleartext transmission of sensitive information, making it susceptible to interception by attackers positioned within the communication path. The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to perform man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks without requiring authentication or user interaction, although the attack complexity is rated as high, indicating some environmental or skill-based challenges. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.9 (medium severity), reflecting a significant confidentiality impact but no impact on integrity or availability. The vulnerability arises because IBM DevOps Deploy does not adequately encrypt sensitive data in transit, potentially exposing credentials, tokens, or other confidential deployment information. While no public exploits are known at this time, the risk remains for attackers capable of network interception, especially in untrusted or poorly segmented networks. This vulnerability affects organizations relying on IBM DevOps Deploy for continuous integration and deployment pipelines, potentially exposing sensitive operational data and credentials that could facilitate further attacks or unauthorized access.

CWE-319Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: HighOWASP Top 10 A04:2025: Cryptographic Failures (opens in a new tab)
The product transmits sensitive or security-critical data in cleartext in a communication channel that can be sniffed by unauthorized actors.
Architecture and Design
Before transmitting, encrypt the data using reliable, confidentiality-protecting cryptographic protocols.
Implementation
When using web applications with SSL, use SSL for the entire session from login to logout, not just for the initial login page.
Implementation
When designing hardware platforms, ensure that approved encryption algorithms (such as those recommended by NIST) protect paths from security critical data to trusted user applications.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Transport Layer Protection (opens in a new tab)
TLS Cipher String (opens in a new tab)
User Privacy Protection (opens in a new tab)
Password Storage (opens in a new tab)
Cryptographic Storage (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V8.3.1 (opens in a new tab)
V9.2.2 (opens in a new tab)
V1.9.1 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Session Sidejacking (opens in a new tab)
Harvesting Information via API Event Monitoring (opens in a new tab)
Signature Spoofing by Mixing Signed and Unsigned Content (opens in a new tab)
Sniff Application Code (opens in a new tab)
Interception (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

ibm.com/support/pages/node/7254662 (opens in a new tab)

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 31 Dec 2025, 00:17 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-319

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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