VulnerabilityPublished 17 Feb 2026

CVE-2025-36183: IBM watsonx.data · Unrestricted File Upload

Affects IBM watsonx.dataSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 3.8 Low.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

3.8Low

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 11% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: High
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: None
Integrity: Low
Availability: Low

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: High: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide significant (e.g., administrative) control over the vulnerable component that could affect component-wide settings and files.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the impacted component.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on the impacted component.
Availability: Low: Performance is reduced or there are interruptions in resource availability. Even if repeated exploitation of the vulnerability is possible, the attacker does not have the ability to completely deny service to legitimate users. The resources in the impacted component are either partially available all of the time, or fully available only some of the time, but overall there is no direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 17 Feb 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
IBMwatsonx.data	Affected >=2.2 <=2.2.1	Fixed in–

CPE configurations (3)

cpe:2.3:a:ibm:watsonxdata:2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:watsonxdata:2.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:watsonxdata:2.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

AI-suggested

To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should implement strict access controls and monitoring for privileged users within IBM watsonx.data environments. Limit the number of privileged accounts and enforce the principle of least privilege to reduce the risk of misuse. Implement file upload restrictions and validation mechanisms externally if possible, such as scanning uploaded files for malicious content before acceptance. Monitor logs for unusual file upload activities or modifications to critical files. Employ network segmentation to isolate watsonx.data servers from less trusted networks and users. Stay informed on IBM security advisories for patches or updates addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly once available. Consider deploying application-layer firewalls or endpoint protection solutions that can detect and block malicious file execution. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focused on privileged user actions and file upload functionalities.

Description

IBM watsonx.data 2.2 through 2.2.1 IBM Lakehouse could allow a privileged user to upload malicious files that could be executed server to modify limited files or data.

Impact

The primary impact of this vulnerability is on organizations using IBM watsonx.data Lakehouse versions 2.2 and 2.2.1, where privileged users could upload and execute malicious files. This could lead to unauthorized modification of critical files or data, potentially disrupting data integrity and availability. While the vulnerability does not allow remote exploitation without authentication, insider threats or compromised privileged accounts could leverage this flaw to escalate damage. The impact is limited by the requirement for privileged access, reducing the risk of widespread exploitation. However, organizations relying heavily on watsonx.data for sensitive data analytics and storage could face operational disruptions or data corruption. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the vulnerability could be targeted in future attacks once exploit code becomes available. The impact on confidentiality is minimal as the vulnerability does not directly expose data but could indirectly affect data integrity and availability.

CWE-434Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: MediumCWE Top 25 (2025): #12OWASP Top 10 A06:2025: Insecure Design (opens in a new tab)
The product allows the upload or transfer of dangerous file types that are automatically processed within its environment.
Architecture and Design
Generate a new, unique filename for an uploaded file instead of using the user-supplied filename, so that no external input is used at all.
Architecture and Design · Enforcement by Conversion
When the set of acceptable objects, such as filenames or URLs, is limited or known, create a mapping from a set of fixed input values (such as numeric IDs) to the actual filenames or URLs, and reject all other inputs.
Architecture and Design
Consider storing the uploaded files outside of the web document root entirely. Then, use other mechanisms to deliver the files dynamically.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Server Side Request Forgery Prevention (opens in a new tab)
Web Service Security (opens in a new tab)
Third Party Javascript Management (opens in a new tab)
File Upload (opens in a new tab)
Secure Design Principles (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V12.5.2 (opens in a new tab)
V13.1.5 (opens in a new tab)
V12.2.1 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Accessing Functionality Not Properly Constrained by ACLs (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

ibm.com/support/pages/node/7260118 (opens in a new tab)

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

CPE configurations (3)

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 25 Feb 2026, 00:10 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-434

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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