CVE-2025-36087 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-798, indicating the use of hard-coded credentials within IBM Security Verify Access and IBM Verify Identity Access Container products. Specifically, versions 10.0.0 through 10.0.9 and 11.0.0 are affected. The hard-coded credentials may be passwords or cryptographic keys embedded in the software to facilitate inbound authentication, outbound communication with external components, or encryption of internal data. Because these credentials are static and embedded, attackers who discover them can bypass authentication mechanisms, intercept or manipulate communications, or decrypt sensitive data, leading to a full compromise of the affected system. The CVSS v3.1 score of 8.1 reflects a high severity, with attack vector being network-based (AV:N), requiring high attack complexity (AC:H), no privileges or user interaction needed (PR:N/UI:N), and impacting confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). Although no exploits are currently known in the wild, the vulnerability poses a significant risk due to the critical nature of the affected product, which is often used to secure enterprise identity and access management. The vulnerability was reserved in April 2025 and published in October 2025, indicating recent discovery and disclosure. The lack of available patches at the time of this report necessitates immediate mitigation planning by affected organizations.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-36087 is substantial. IBM Security Verify Access is widely deployed in enterprises for identity and access management, often protecting sensitive data and critical applications. Exploitation could allow attackers to impersonate legitimate users, escalate privileges, and access confidential information, severely compromising data confidentiality and integrity. Additionally, attackers could disrupt authentication services, affecting availability and causing operational downtime. Sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure are particularly vulnerable due to their reliance on robust access controls and the sensitive nature of their data. The breach of cryptographic keys could also undermine encrypted communications and stored data, increasing the risk of further lateral movement within networks. The absence of known exploits currently provides a window for proactive defense, but the high severity score underscores the urgency of addressing the vulnerability to prevent potential targeted attacks or automated exploitation once public exploit code becomes available.

Organizations should immediately inventory their deployments of IBM Security Verify Access and Verify Identity Access Container to identify affected versions (10.0.0 through 10.0.9 and 11.0.0). Although no official patches are currently available, organizations should engage with IBM support for any interim fixes or recommended configurations. In the meantime, administrators should audit configurations to detect and remove or replace any hard-coded credentials where possible. Implement network segmentation to isolate affected systems from untrusted networks and restrict inbound and outbound communications to only necessary endpoints. Employ strict access controls and monitoring on systems running the affected software to detect anomalous authentication attempts or unusual network traffic. Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an additional layer of security beyond the vulnerable credentials. Prepare for rapid patch deployment once IBM releases updates. Additionally, conduct regular security assessments and penetration tests focusing on identity and access management components to identify potential exploitation attempts.