CVE-2025-13490: IBM App Connect Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2025-13490 Overview

CVE-2025-13490 is a cleartext transmission vulnerability affecting IBM App Connect Operator and IBM App Connect Enterprise Certified Containers Operands. The vulnerability exists because the affected software transmits sensitive data in clear text, potentially allowing attackers positioned on the network path to intercept and obtain confidential information through man-in-the-middle (MITM) techniques. This weakness is classified under CWE-319 (Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information).

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an attacker to intercept sensitive enterprise integration data, credentials, or business-critical information transmitted between IBM App Connect components in containerized environments.

Affected Products

• IBM App Connect Operator CD versions 11.3.0 through 11.6.0 and 12.1.0 through 12.20.0
• IBM App Connect Operator LTS versions 12.0.0 through 12.0.20
• IBM App Connect Enterprise Certified Containers Operands CD versions 12.0.11.2-r1 through 12.0.12.5-r1 and 13.0.1.0-r1 through 13.0.6.1-r1
• IBM App Connect Enterprise Certified Containers Operands LTS versions 12.0.12-r1 through 12.0.12-r20

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-03 - CVE-2025-13490 published to NVD
• 2026-03-04 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-13490

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents a significant security oversight in the communication protocol implementation within IBM App Connect Enterprise Certified Containers. The affected components fail to enforce encryption for data transmissions, leaving sensitive information exposed during transit. In containerized Kubernetes environments where IBM App Connect is commonly deployed, network traffic between pods and services may traverse shared infrastructure, increasing the risk of interception.

The vulnerability requires an attacker to have network access to intercept traffic, making it particularly concerning in multi-tenant cloud environments or scenarios where network segmentation is insufficient. While exploitation requires a specific network position, the potential exposure of sensitive business data, API credentials, or integration configurations makes this a significant concern for enterprise deployments.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-13490 is the improper implementation of transport layer security in IBM App Connect Enterprise Certified Containers. The software fails to enforce TLS/SSL encryption for certain communication channels, resulting in sensitive data being transmitted in cleartext. This may occur in inter-container communications, internal API calls, or data exchange between operator components and operands.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based. An attacker must position themselves on the network path between communicating IBM App Connect components to successfully exploit this vulnerability. Common attack scenarios include:

The attacker performs ARP spoofing or DNS poisoning to redirect traffic through their controlled system. Once positioned, they can passively capture cleartext transmissions containing sensitive information such as authentication credentials, business data, or configuration details. The attack does not require user interaction, though it does require the attacker to achieve a privileged network position, making the attack complexity high.

Due to the network-based attack vector requirement and the need for MITM positioning, this vulnerability is more likely to be exploited in environments with weak network segmentation, shared infrastructure, or compromised network devices.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-13490

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected ARP or DNS changes in the network segment hosting IBM App Connect containers
• Unusual network traffic patterns or packet captures showing unencrypted IBM App Connect communications
• Evidence of network reconnaissance tools or packet sniffers deployed in the container environment
• Anomalous data exfiltration patterns from systems communicating with IBM App Connect components

Detection Strategies

• Monitor network traffic for unencrypted HTTP communications originating from or destined to IBM App Connect pods
• Implement network intrusion detection systems (NIDS) to identify potential MITM attacks in the Kubernetes cluster
• Review container network policies and service mesh configurations for gaps that could enable traffic interception
• Deploy TLS inspection capabilities to verify encryption is properly enforced on all IBM App Connect communications

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for IBM App Connect Operator and Operand components to capture communication anomalies
• Implement network flow monitoring to detect traffic redirection attempts within the container environment
• Configure alerts for any cleartext protocol usage (HTTP instead of HTTPS) on IBM App Connect service ports
• Regularly audit Kubernetes network policies and ensure proper pod-to-pod encryption enforcement

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-13490

Immediate Actions Required

• Review the IBM Support Page for specific remediation guidance
• Audit current IBM App Connect deployments to identify vulnerable versions in your environment
• Implement network segmentation to isolate IBM App Connect containers from untrusted network segments
• Enable TLS encryption for all IBM App Connect communications where configuration options exist

Patch Information

IBM has published security guidance for this vulnerability. Organizations should consult the IBM Security Advisory for detailed patching instructions and updated versions that address this cleartext transmission issue. Upgrade to the latest patched versions of IBM App Connect Operator and IBM App Connect Enterprise Certified Containers Operands as recommended by IBM.

Workarounds

• Implement a service mesh (such as Istio or Linkerd) to enforce mTLS for all pod-to-pod communications
• Configure Kubernetes Network Policies to restrict traffic flow and limit potential MITM attack surfaces
• Deploy the IBM App Connect components in isolated network namespaces with strict ingress and egress controls
• Use VPN or encrypted overlay networks for container communications until patches can be applied

# Example: Enforce TLS with Kubernetes Network Policy
# Restrict ingress to IBM App Connect pods from trusted sources only
kubectl apply -f - <<EOF
apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: NetworkPolicy
metadata:
  name: ibm-appconnect-restrict-ingress
  namespace: appconnect
spec:
  podSelector:
    matchLabels:
      app: ibm-app-connect
  policyTypes:
  - Ingress
  ingress:
  - from:
    - namespaceSelector:
        matchLabels:
          trusted: "true"
EOF