CVE-2025-27904: IBM DB2 Recovery Expert CSRF Vulnerability

CVE-2025-27904 Overview

IBM DB2 Recovery Expert for Linux, UNIX and Windows version 5.5 Interim Fix 002 contains a cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability that could allow an attacker to execute malicious and unauthorized actions transmitted from a user that the website trusts. This vulnerability enables attackers to trick authenticated users into unknowingly performing actions on the vulnerable application.

Critical Impact

Attackers can leverage trusted user sessions to execute unauthorized actions, potentially leading to configuration changes, data manipulation, or other high-impact operations within the DB2 Recovery Expert management interface.

Affected Products

• IBM DB2 Recovery Expert for Linux, UNIX and Windows 5.5 Interim Fix 002
• IBM DB2 Recovery Expert for LUW 5.5

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-17 - CVE CVE-2025-27904 published to NVD
• 2026-02-18 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-27904

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as Cross-Site Request Forgery (CWE-352), a web application security flaw that occurs when a malicious website, email, or program causes a user's web browser to perform an unwanted action on a trusted site where the user is currently authenticated.

In the context of IBM DB2 Recovery Expert, the vulnerability exists due to insufficient validation of request origins. The application fails to properly verify that incoming requests originate from legitimate user interactions rather than from a malicious third-party source. When an authenticated administrator or user visits a malicious webpage crafted by an attacker, the browser automatically includes session cookies and authentication tokens with requests sent to the DB2 Recovery Expert interface.

The integrity impact is significant as attackers can modify application configurations and execute administrative functions without the user's knowledge or consent.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-27904 lies in the absence of proper anti-CSRF tokens or same-origin request validation in the IBM DB2 Recovery Expert web interface. The application does not implement sufficient mechanisms to distinguish between legitimate user-initiated requests and forged requests originating from external sources. This allows attackers to construct malicious requests that, when executed by an authenticated user's browser, are indistinguishable from legitimate requests.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker must craft a malicious webpage or email containing specially designed requests targeting the IBM DB2 Recovery Expert interface. The attack flow typically involves:

1. The attacker identifies sensitive actions in the DB2 Recovery Expert web interface that can be triggered via HTTP requests
2. The attacker crafts a malicious webpage containing hidden forms or JavaScript that generate requests to the vulnerable endpoints
3. The attacker distributes the malicious page via phishing emails, compromised websites, or other social engineering techniques
4. When an authenticated user visits the malicious page, their browser automatically sends the forged requests along with valid session credentials
5. The DB2 Recovery Expert processes these requests as legitimate, executing the attacker's intended actions

The vulnerability requires no prior authentication on the part of the attacker, but does depend on the victim being authenticated to the target application.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-27904

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected configuration changes in IBM DB2 Recovery Expert settings without corresponding administrative activity
• Unusual HTTP referrer headers in web server logs showing requests originating from external domains
• Multiple administrative actions performed in rapid succession without typical user navigation patterns
• Session activity from authenticated users immediately following visits to external websites

Detection Strategies

• Monitor web server access logs for requests to sensitive DB2 Recovery Expert endpoints with suspicious or missing referrer headers
• Implement security information and event management (SIEM) rules to correlate user authentication events with unexpected configuration changes
• Deploy web application firewalls (WAF) with CSRF detection capabilities to identify and block suspicious cross-origin requests
• Review HTTP logs for state-changing requests (POST, PUT, DELETE) that lack proper anti-CSRF tokens

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed HTTP request logging on the DB2 Recovery Expert web server to capture referrer headers and request origins
• Configure alerting for administrative actions performed outside of normal business hours or from unexpected source IPs
• Implement user behavior analytics to detect anomalous patterns in administrative activity
• Monitor for phishing campaigns targeting organization users that may reference IBM or database management tools

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-27904

Immediate Actions Required

• Review the IBM Support Page for official security guidance and updates
• Restrict network access to the DB2 Recovery Expert web interface to trusted IP ranges and authorized administrators only
• Implement additional authentication factors for sensitive administrative operations
• Educate users about phishing risks and the importance of not clicking untrusted links while authenticated to administrative interfaces
• Consider temporarily disabling web-based access if alternative management methods are available

Patch Information

IBM has released security information regarding this vulnerability. Administrators should consult the IBM Support Page for the latest patch availability and installation instructions. Apply the vendor-recommended update to IBM DB2 Recovery Expert for LUW as soon as it becomes available in your environment.

Workarounds

• Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) in front of the DB2 Recovery Expert interface with strict CSRF protection rules enabled
• Configure browser security policies to prevent automatic credential submission to administrative interfaces
• Require re-authentication for all sensitive administrative operations until the patch is applied
• Implement network segmentation to limit which hosts can access the DB2 Recovery Expert management interface
• Use dedicated browser profiles or incognito sessions for administrative tasks to reduce exposure to cross-site attacks

# Example: Restrict access to DB2 Recovery Expert interface via firewall
# Allow only management network to access the web interface
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 10.0.1.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP

# For Windows environments, use PowerShell to restrict access
# New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "DB2 Recovery Expert - Admin Only" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 443 -Protocol TCP -RemoteAddress 10.0.1.0/24 -Action Allow