Plaintext-Storage — CraftedSignal Threat Feedhttps://feed.craftedsignal.io/tags/plaintext-storage/Trending threats, MITRE ATT&CK coverage, and detection metadata — refreshed continuously.Hugoenhello@craftedsignal.iohello@craftedsignal.ioWed, 25 Mar 2026 21:16:24 +0000IBM InfoSphere Information Server Plaintext Credential Storage Vulnerabilityhttps://feed.craftedsignal.io/briefs/2026-03-ibm-infosphere-plaintext-creds/Wed, 25 Mar 2026 21:16:24 +0000hello@craftedsignal.iohttps://feed.craftedsignal.io/briefs/2026-03-ibm-infosphere-plaintext-creds/IBM InfoSphere Information Server 11.7.0.0 through 11.7.1.6 stores user credentials in plaintext, allowing local users to read sensitive information.IBM InfoSphere Information Server versions 11.7.0.0 through 11.7.1.6 are vulnerable to plaintext storage of user credentials and other sensitive information. A local user with access to the affected system can potentially read these credentials, leading to unauthorized access or privilege escalation. This vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-36258, can have significant impact on organizations using the affected IBM InfoSphere versions, as it exposes sensitive data and potentially compromises the entire system. Defenders should identify systems running these versions and apply recommended mitigations.

Attack Chain

  1. A local user gains access to a server running a vulnerable version of IBM InfoSphere Information Server (11.7.0.0 through 11.7.1.6).
  2. The user navigates to the file system location where the application stores configuration files.
  3. The user opens the configuration files using a text editor or command-line tool like cat or type.
  4. The user searches for plaintext credentials or other sensitive information within the configuration files.
  5. The user discovers usernames, passwords, API keys, or other secrets stored in plaintext.
  6. The user uses the discovered credentials to authenticate to the InfoSphere system or related services.
  7. The user gains unauthorized access to data, configurations, or administrative functions.

Impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2025-36258 allows a local user to read sensitive information, including user credentials stored in plaintext. This can lead to unauthorized access to the InfoSphere system and potentially other connected systems. The impact includes data breaches, privilege escalation, and complete system compromise. The severity is rated as HIGH with a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.1.

Recommendation

  • Apply the security update or patch provided by IBM to address CVE-2025-36258; refer to https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7266489.
  • Implement access controls to restrict local user access to sensitive configuration files.
  • Deploy the Sigma rules provided to detect unauthorized access to configuration files and processes attempting to read them.
  • Enable file integrity monitoring for InfoSphere configuration directories to detect unauthorized modifications.
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