Overview
The vulnerability, labeled CVE-2025-3221, is a potent security flaw discovered in IBM InfoSphere Information Server versions 11.7.0.0 through 11.7.1.6. This vulnerability allows a remote attacker to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) attack. The severity and the potential for system compromise or data leakage make this vulnerability crucial for organizations to address.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-3221
Severity: High – CVSS Score: 7.5
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Denial of Service attack, potential system compromise, and data leakage
Affected Products
Product | Affected Versions
IBM InfoSphere Information Server | 11.7.0.0 to 11.7.1.6
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of incoming request resources. A remote attacker can exploit this by sending specially crafted requests to the affected system. This can lead to a denial of service, which can potentially compromise the system and lead to data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
An attacker might exploit the vulnerability by sending a malicious request like the one below:
POST /vulnerable/endpoint HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
{ "malicious_payload": "..." }
This is a conceptual example, and the actual malicious payload would depend on the specific details of the vulnerability.
Mitigation
IBM has released a patch addressing this vulnerability. All users are advised to apply the vendor patch as soon as possible. In cases where immediate patching is not feasible, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide temporary mitigation. However, these should not be seen as a permanent solution and the patch should be applied as soon as practicable.
