CVE-2025-36018 Overview
IBM Concert 1.0.0 through 2.1.0 for the Z hub component 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 performing unintended actions on the IBM Concert platform without their knowledge or consent.
Critical Impact
Attackers can leverage trusted user sessions to execute unauthorized actions on IBM Concert, potentially compromising data integrity and enabling malicious configuration changes through forged requests.
Affected Products
- IBM Concert versions 1.0.0 through 2.1.0
- IBM Concert Z hub component
- Linux-based deployments running affected IBM Concert versions
Discovery Timeline
- February 17, 2026 - CVE-2025-36018 published to NVD
- February 18, 2026 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-36018
Vulnerability Analysis
This Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in IBM Concert's Z hub component allows attackers to forge requests that appear to originate from legitimate authenticated users. The vulnerability exists because the application fails to properly validate the origin of requests, enabling malicious actors to craft specially designed web pages or links that, when visited by an authenticated user, trigger unauthorized actions on the IBM Concert platform.
The attack requires user interaction—specifically, the victim must visit a malicious page or click a crafted link while authenticated to IBM Concert. Once triggered, the forged request inherits the victim's session credentials and authorization level, allowing the attacker to perform any action the victim is permitted to execute.
Root Cause
The root cause of CVE-2025-36018 is the absence or improper implementation of CSRF protection mechanisms in the IBM Concert Z hub component. This includes:
- Missing or inadequate anti-CSRF tokens in state-changing requests
- Lack of proper SameSite cookie attributes
- Insufficient validation of request origin headers
- Failure to implement the Synchronizer Token Pattern or Double Submit Cookie pattern
Attack Vector
The attack leverages the network-based vector requiring user interaction. An attacker creates a malicious webpage containing hidden forms or JavaScript that automatically submits requests to the IBM Concert application. When an authenticated user visits this page, their browser automatically includes session cookies with the forged request, causing the application to process the malicious action as if it were legitimately initiated by the user.
Typical exploitation scenarios include:
- Embedding malicious forms in phishing emails
- Hosting attack pages on compromised or attacker-controlled websites
- Injecting malicious content through other vulnerabilities like XSS
- Social engineering users to click malicious links
The vulnerability specifically targets the Z hub component, meaning actions related to mainframe integration and management could be manipulated through forged requests.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-36018
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual administrative actions performed without corresponding user activity in audit logs
- Multiple state-changing requests originating from unexpected referrer URLs
- Discrepancies between user session activity and logged actions in IBM Concert
- Reports from users about configuration changes they did not initiate
Detection Strategies
- Monitor HTTP referrer headers for requests to IBM Concert that originate from external domains
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious cross-origin POST requests
- Analyze server logs for patterns of state-changing requests lacking proper CSRF tokens
- Enable detailed audit logging in IBM Concert to track all administrative actions with source context
Monitoring Recommendations
- Configure SIEM alerts for unusual patterns of administrative activity in IBM Concert
- Monitor for multiple rapid state-changing requests from single user sessions
- Implement user behavior analytics (UBA) to detect anomalous action patterns
- Review IBM Concert audit logs regularly for unexplained configuration modifications
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-36018
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the security patch from IBM as documented in the official security advisory
- Review IBM Concert audit logs for any suspicious activity or unauthorized changes
- Educate users about the risks of clicking unknown links while authenticated to IBM Concert
- Consider implementing additional network segmentation for IBM Concert deployments
Patch Information
IBM has released a security update to address this vulnerability. Organizations running IBM Concert versions 1.0.0 through 2.1.0 should immediately upgrade to a patched version. Detailed patch information and installation instructions are available in the IBM Support Page.
Workarounds
- Implement strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to prevent unauthorized script execution
- Configure the SameSite=Strict cookie attribute for IBM Concert session cookies where possible
- Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) with CSRF protection rules
- Restrict access to IBM Concert through VPN or network access controls to limit exposure
- Advise users to use dedicated browser sessions for IBM Concert administration
# Example WAF rule configuration for CSRF protection (Apache ModSecurity)
# Block requests with missing or mismatched origin headers
SecRule REQUEST_METHOD "POST|PUT|DELETE" \
"id:100001,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'Potential CSRF - Missing Origin header',\
chain"
SecRule &REQUEST_HEADERS:Origin "@eq 0"
# Log suspicious cross-origin requests for analysis
SecRule REQUEST_HEADERS:Origin "!@contains yourdomain.com" \
"id:100002,phase:2,log,msg:'Cross-origin request detected'"
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
