CVE-2025-36299 is a vulnerability identified in IBM Planning Analytics Local versions 2.1.0 through 2.1.14, categorized under CWE-540, which involves the storage of sensitive information in source code. This flaw arises when sensitive data such as credentials, tokens, or configuration secrets are embedded directly within the source code files of the product. Such improper handling can expose this information to unauthorized users who gain access to the source code, either through legitimate access or via lateral movement within a compromised environment. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 4.3, indicating medium severity, with an attack vector of network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacting confidentiality only (C:L), without affecting integrity or availability. The scope remains unchanged (S:U). Although no public exploits are known, the presence of sensitive information in source code can facilitate further attacks such as privilege escalation, unauthorized access, or data exfiltration. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where IBM Planning Analytics Local is used for financial planning and analytics, as exposure of sensitive data could compromise business-critical information. The lack of available patches at the time of publication necessitates immediate mitigation steps to limit exposure.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-36299 primarily involves the potential leakage of sensitive information embedded in source code, which could include credentials or configuration secrets. This leakage could enable attackers to escalate privileges, move laterally within networks, or access confidential business data, especially in sectors relying heavily on IBM Planning Analytics Local for financial and operational planning. While the vulnerability does not directly affect system integrity or availability, the confidentiality breach could lead to regulatory compliance issues under GDPR, reputational damage, and financial losses. Organizations in finance, manufacturing, and large enterprises using IBM Planning Analytics Local are at heightened risk. The medium severity score reflects that exploitation requires some privileges, limiting the attack surface but not eliminating risk. The absence of known exploits suggests a window for proactive defense, but also underscores the need for vigilance as threat actors may develop exploits targeting this vulnerability.

To mitigate CVE-2025-36299, European organizations should: 1) Immediately audit all instances of IBM Planning Analytics Local to identify versions 2.1.0 through 2.1.14 in use. 2) Restrict access to source code repositories and configuration files to only essential personnel, enforcing strict role-based access controls. 3) Conduct thorough code reviews to identify and remove any sensitive information stored in source code, replacing them with secure vault or environment variable mechanisms. 4) Monitor internal networks for unusual access patterns that could indicate attempts to access source code or sensitive files. 5) Engage with IBM support to obtain and apply patches or updates as soon as they become available. 6) Implement network segmentation to isolate analytics environments from broader corporate networks. 7) Educate development and operations teams about secure coding practices to prevent embedding sensitive data in source code in the future. 8) Use data loss prevention (DLP) tools to detect sensitive information in code repositories and prevent unauthorized exfiltration.