CVE-2025-36017 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-526, which pertains to the storage of sensitive information in cleartext within environment variable files by IBM Controller versions 11.1.0 through 11.1.1 and IBM Cognos Controller 11.0.0 through 11.0.1 FP6. This vulnerability allows an authenticated user with low privileges to access environment files that contain sensitive data such as credentials or configuration secrets stored without encryption. Because the data is stored unencrypted, any user who can authenticate to the system can potentially extract this sensitive information, leading to confidentiality breaches. The vulnerability does not affect the integrity or availability of the system but poses a significant risk to sensitive data confidentiality. The attack vector is network-based (AV:N), with low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:L) but no user interaction (UI:N). The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the impact on confidentiality is high (C:H), with no impact on integrity or availability. No patches are currently linked, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild. The vulnerability was published on December 8, 2025, and was reserved earlier in April 2025. This issue is particularly critical in environments where IBM Controller is used for financial consolidation and reporting, as exposure of sensitive environment variables could lead to further compromise or data leakage.

For European organizations, especially those in finance, manufacturing, and enterprise resource planning sectors that rely on IBM Controller software, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive credentials or configuration data. Such exposure can facilitate lateral movement within networks, unauthorized access to critical systems, or data exfiltration. Given the role of IBM Controller in financial consolidation and reporting, compromised environment variables could undermine data confidentiality and trust in financial reporting processes. Although the vulnerability does not directly affect system integrity or availability, the confidentiality breach could have regulatory and compliance implications under GDPR and other data protection laws. The requirement for authentication limits exposure to internal or compromised users, but insider threats or compromised credentials could still exploit this vulnerability. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future exploitation.

Organizations should immediately audit and restrict access permissions to environment variable files containing sensitive information, ensuring only necessary service accounts or administrators have read access. Encrypt sensitive data stored in environment variables or use secure vault solutions to manage secrets instead of storing them in plaintext files. Implement strict authentication and authorization controls to limit user access to the IBM Controller environment. Monitor access logs for unusual or unauthorized access attempts to environment files. Apply vendor patches or updates as soon as they become available to address this vulnerability. Additionally, conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on internal privilege escalation and data exposure risks. Educate system administrators and users about the risks of storing sensitive data in unencrypted files and promote best practices for secret management.