CVE-2025-36091 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-283 (Unverified Ownership) affecting IBM Cloud Pak For Business Automation versions 24.0.0, 24.0.1, and 25.0.0. The flaw arises because the system does not properly verify ownership assignments when an authenticated user attempts to modify dashboard ownership. This improper validation allows an attacker with legitimate credentials to assign invalid or unauthorized ownership to dashboards, effectively locking out legitimate users from accessing these dashboards. The vulnerability impacts the availability of dashboards, which are critical for monitoring and managing business automation workflows. Since dashboards often contain key operational metrics and controls, denial of access can disrupt business processes. The attack vector is network-based and requires the attacker to be authenticated, but no additional user interaction is necessary. The CVSS v3.1 score of 4.3 reflects a medium severity with low attack complexity and no impact on confidentiality or integrity. No patches or exploits are currently documented, but the vulnerability's presence in widely used IBM automation software makes it a concern for organizations relying on these tools for operational continuity.

For European organizations, the primary impact is on availability and operational continuity. Disruption of dashboard access can hinder monitoring and management of automated business processes, potentially delaying decision-making and response times. Sectors such as finance, manufacturing, telecommunications, and government agencies that rely heavily on IBM Cloud Pak For Business Automation for workflow orchestration and process automation are particularly at risk. The inability to access dashboards could lead to operational inefficiencies, increased downtime, and potential financial losses. While the vulnerability does not expose sensitive data or allow unauthorized data modification, the denial of access to critical dashboards can indirectly affect business performance and compliance monitoring. Given the requirement for authenticated access, insider threats or compromised credentials pose the greatest risk for exploitation within European enterprises.

To mitigate CVE-2025-36091, organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Enforce strict access controls and role-based permissions to limit which authenticated users can modify dashboard ownership. 2) Monitor and audit dashboard ownership changes regularly to detect unauthorized or suspicious modifications. 3) Employ multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of credential compromise leading to exploitation. 4) Segregate duties so that no single user has unchecked privileges to alter critical dashboard ownership. 5) Engage with IBM support or security advisories to obtain patches or updates as they become available, even though no patches are currently listed. 6) Implement alerting mechanisms for failed or unusual access attempts to dashboards. 7) Educate users about the risks of credential sharing and phishing attacks that could lead to authenticated access by malicious actors. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on ownership validation controls and operational monitoring specific to this vulnerability.