CVE-2025-36335 IBM CVE debrief

Who should care

Defenders responsible for IBM watsonx.data intelligence deployments, especially those with local access, should assess exposure and prioritize remediation.

Why it matters

CVE-2025-36335 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM watsonx.data intelligence that stores user credentials in plain text, allowing local users to access them. Defenders should prioritize verifying and remediating this vulnerability, especially in local threat contexts.

• Local users may gain unauthorized access to sensitive credentials
• Defenders must verify and remediate affected systems to prevent potential credential exposure
• Remediation priority is medium due to the local access requirement

Technical summary

IBM watsonx.data intelligence versions 5.2.0, 5.2.1, 5.3.0, and 5.3.1 store user credentials in plain text, allowing local users to read them. This vulnerability allows local users to access sensitive credentials, potentially leading to unauthorized access. The vulnerability has a medium severity and requires local access to exploit. Defenders should prioritize verifying and remediating this vulnerability to prevent potential credential exposure.

Defensive priority

Defenders should prioritize verifying and remediating this vulnerability, especially in local threat contexts.

Recommended defensive actions

• Verify affected versions of IBM watsonx.data intelligence are identified and prioritized for remediation
• Implement alternative authentication and credential storage mechanisms
• Monitor local user activity for potential unauthorized access

Evidence notes

The CVE record and NVD entry provide details on the vulnerability. IBM has released a vendor advisory. The vulnerability is confirmed to affect versions 5.2.0, 5.2.1, 5.3.0, and 5.3.1 of IBM watsonx.data intelligence. Local users can read user credentials due to the plain text storage. Defenders should verify affected systems and prioritize remediation to prevent potential credential exposure.

Sources and references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.