CVE-2025-27368 is an information disclosure vulnerability classified under CWE-497 (Exposure of Sensitive System Information to an Unauthorized Control Sphere) affecting IBM OpenPages versions 9.0 and 9.1. The root cause lies in insufficient security controls on certain REST API endpoints used by the OpenPages user interface. These endpoints expose system metadata that should be restricted based on user privileges. An attacker with valid authentication credentials can exploit this weakness to retrieve sensitive system information beyond their authorized access scope. The vulnerability does not allow for modification of data or denial of service, but it compromises confidentiality by leaking potentially sensitive metadata. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.3 (medium), reflecting that the attack vector is network-based with low attack complexity, requiring privileges but no user interaction, and impacting confidentiality only. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, and IBM has not yet published patches or mitigations at the time of disclosure. The vulnerability affects enterprise environments where OpenPages is deployed for governance, risk, and compliance management, potentially exposing internal system details that could aid further attacks or violate regulatory requirements. The issue highlights the importance of strict access control enforcement on RESTful interfaces within enterprise applications.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-27368 is the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive system metadata within IBM OpenPages environments. This can lead to increased risk of targeted attacks by revealing internal system configurations or security posture details. Organizations in regulated sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government may face compliance risks if sensitive information is exposed beyond authorized personnel. Although the vulnerability does not allow data modification or service disruption, the confidentiality breach could facilitate lateral movement or privilege escalation attempts by malicious insiders or compromised accounts. The impact is heightened in large enterprises relying heavily on OpenPages for risk and compliance management, where sensitive governance data is stored. Since exploitation requires authentication, the risk is limited to insiders or attackers who have obtained valid credentials, but the ease of access to unauthorized metadata still represents a significant security concern. Overall, the vulnerability could undermine trust in the integrity of governance systems and complicate regulatory compliance efforts in Europe.

To mitigate CVE-2025-27368, European organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Review and tighten user access controls within IBM OpenPages to ensure least privilege principles are enforced, limiting authenticated users to only necessary data and functions. 2) Monitor and audit REST API endpoint access logs to detect unusual or unauthorized queries that may indicate exploitation attempts. 3) Employ network segmentation and firewall rules to restrict access to OpenPages management interfaces to trusted administrative networks only. 4) Engage with IBM support to obtain any available patches or security advisories and apply updates promptly once released. 5) Conduct internal penetration testing focused on REST API endpoints to identify and remediate similar exposure risks. 6) Educate administrators and users about the risks of credential compromise and enforce strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication. 7) Consider deploying Web Application Firewalls (WAF) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious REST API calls targeting metadata endpoints. These targeted actions go beyond generic advice by focusing on access control, monitoring, and proactive testing specific to the vulnerability's nature.