CVE-2025-25029 is a vulnerability identified in IBM Security Guardium version 12.0, categorized under CWE-116, which pertains to improper encoding or escaping of output. This vulnerability allows a privileged user to download any file on the system due to insufficient escaping of input parameters. Specifically, the flaw arises because the application does not properly sanitize or encode user input before processing file download requests, enabling an attacker with elevated privileges to manipulate the input and access arbitrary files on the underlying system. The vulnerability does not require user interaction and can be exploited remotely over the network (AV:N), with low attack complexity (AC:L). However, it requires the attacker to have high privileges (PR:H) within the system, which limits the scope of exploitation to users who already have significant access rights. The impact primarily affects confidentiality, as unauthorized file access could expose sensitive data. There is no impact on integrity or availability. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.9, reflecting a medium severity level. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. Given the nature of IBM Security Guardium as a data security and database activity monitoring solution, this vulnerability could be leveraged to extract sensitive configuration files, logs, or other critical data stored on the system, potentially aiding further attacks or data breaches.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability could be significant, especially for those relying on IBM Security Guardium to protect sensitive databases and comply with stringent data protection regulations such as GDPR. Unauthorized file downloads by privileged users could lead to exposure of confidential customer data, intellectual property, or security configurations. This could result in regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and increased risk of insider threats or lateral movement within the network. Since the vulnerability requires privileged access, it is particularly concerning in environments where privileged user accounts are shared, poorly managed, or where insider threat risks are elevated. The ability to download arbitrary files could also facilitate the extraction of audit logs or security configurations, undermining the effectiveness of security monitoring and incident response capabilities.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations using IBM Security Guardium 12.0 should implement the following specific measures: 1) Restrict privileged user access strictly on a need-to-know and need-to-access basis, ensuring that only trusted personnel have elevated permissions. 2) Implement robust privileged access management (PAM) solutions to monitor and control privileged sessions, including session recording and real-time alerting on suspicious activities. 3) Apply network segmentation to isolate the Security Guardium system from less trusted network zones, reducing the risk of lateral movement. 4) Monitor file access logs and audit trails for unusual file download activities by privileged users. 5) Stay in close contact with IBM for official patches or updates addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly once available. 6) Conduct regular security training for privileged users emphasizing the importance of secure handling of credentials and the risks associated with misuse. 7) Consider additional application-layer controls or web application firewalls (WAF) that can detect and block suspicious input patterns related to file download requests.