VulnerabilityPublished 1 Jun 2025Updated 26 Aug 2025

CVE-2025-1499: IBM InfoSphere Information Server · Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information

Affects IBM InfoSphere Information ServerSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.5 Medium.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 12:29 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

6.5Medium

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

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 12% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

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

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
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: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
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 Jun 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 InfoSphere Information Server	Affected =11.7	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Restrict access to the IBM InfoSphere Information Server parameter files strictly to the minimum necessary privileged users and service accounts, employing file system permissions and access control lists (ACLs). 2) Implement robust authentication and authorization controls on the InfoSphere server to limit the number of users with access to sensitive configuration files. 3) Monitor and audit access logs for unusual or unauthorized access attempts to these files. 4) Where possible, configure the environment to use encrypted credential storage or leverage external secrets management solutions (e.g., HashiCorp Vault, Azure Key Vault) to avoid storing credentials in cleartext files. 5) Regularly rotate database credentials to limit the window of exposure if credentials are compromised. 6) Apply network segmentation to isolate the InfoSphere server and backend databases, reducing the risk of lateral movement. 7) Stay updated with IBM security advisories for patches or configuration updates addressing this issue, and apply them promptly once available. 8) Conduct security awareness training emphasizing the risks of credential exposure and the importance of safeguarding access credentials. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on access control, credential management, and monitoring tailored to the specific nature of this vulnerability.

Description

IBM InfoSphere Information Server 11.7 stores credential information for database authentication in a cleartext parameter file that could be viewed by an authenticated user.

Impact

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-1499 can be substantial, especially for those in sectors with stringent data protection requirements such as finance, healthcare, telecommunications, and government. Exposure of database credentials could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive or regulated data, potentially resulting in data breaches, non-compliance with GDPR, and significant reputational damage. Since the vulnerability requires authenticated access, insider threats or compromised user accounts pose the greatest risk. Attackers gaining access to these credentials could move laterally within the network to access other systems or exfiltrate sensitive information. The confidentiality breach could also undermine trust in data governance and analytics processes, which are critical for decision-making in many European enterprises. Although the vulnerability does not directly affect system integrity or availability, the indirect consequences of credential exposure could lead to broader security incidents. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, as attackers may develop exploits over time.

CWE-312Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessOWASP Top 10 A06:2025: Insecure Design (opens in a new tab)
The product stores sensitive information in cleartext within a resource that might be accessible to another control sphere.
Implementation · System Configuration · Operation
When storing data in the cloud (e.g., S3 buckets, Azure blobs, Google Cloud Storage, etc.), use the provider's controls to encrypt the data at rest.
Implementation · System Configuration · Operation
In some systems/environments such as cloud, the use of "double encryption" (at both the software and hardware layer) might be required, and the developer might be solely responsible for both layers, instead of shared responsibility with the administrator of the broader system/environment.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Secure Design Principles (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V8.1.6 (opens in a new tab)
V8.2.3 (opens in a new tab)
V8.2.2 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Retrieve Embedded Sensitive Data (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

ibm.com/support/pages/node/7233154 (opens in a new tab)

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 27 Aug 2025, 00:46 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-312

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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