CVE-2025-36262 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting IBM Planning Analytics Local versions 2.0.0 through 2.0.106 and 2.1.0 through 2.1.13. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-1286, which relates to improper validation of the syntactic correctness of input. Specifically, this flaw allows a malicious privileged user to bypass the user interface (UI) controls and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information within the affected IBM Planning Analytics Local environment. The vulnerability arises because the software does not adequately validate input syntax, enabling an attacker with elevated privileges to circumvent intended access restrictions. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.9, indicating a medium severity level, with the vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N. This means the attack can be performed remotely over the network with low attack complexity, but requires high privileges and no user interaction. The impact is primarily on confidentiality, as unauthorized access to sensitive data is possible, while integrity and availability are not affected. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or mitigation links have been published at this time. The vulnerability affects enterprise deployments of IBM Planning Analytics Local, a business intelligence and financial planning tool used for data analysis and decision-making.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk to the confidentiality of sensitive financial and planning data managed within IBM Planning Analytics Local. Organizations relying on this software for critical financial planning, budgeting, and analytics could face unauthorized data disclosure if a malicious privileged user exploits this flaw. Given that the vulnerability requires privileged access, the threat is more relevant in environments where internal threat actors or compromised privileged accounts exist. The exposure of sensitive financial data could lead to regulatory compliance issues under GDPR, reputational damage, and potential financial losses. Additionally, unauthorized data access could facilitate further attacks or insider threats. Since IBM Planning Analytics Local is used by enterprises for strategic planning, the confidentiality breach could undermine business decision-making processes and competitive positioning. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the presence of this vulnerability necessitates proactive mitigation to prevent future exploitation.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigation measures: 1) Restrict and monitor privileged user access rigorously, employing the principle of least privilege and ensuring that only necessary personnel have elevated permissions within IBM Planning Analytics Local. 2) Implement robust internal auditing and logging to detect anomalous access patterns or attempts to bypass UI controls. 3) Apply network segmentation to isolate systems running IBM Planning Analytics Local, limiting exposure to potentially compromised accounts. 4) Enforce strong authentication mechanisms for privileged accounts, including multi-factor authentication (MFA), to reduce the risk of credential compromise. 5) Regularly review and update internal policies regarding privileged access and data handling within financial planning tools. 6) Stay alert for IBM security advisories and apply patches promptly once available, as no patches are currently published. 7) Conduct security awareness training focused on insider threat risks and secure handling of privileged credentials. These targeted actions go beyond generic advice by focusing on controlling and monitoring privileged access and preparing for patch deployment.