CVE-2025-36076: IBM Cognos Analytics Information Disclosure

CVE-2025-36076 Overview

CVE-2025-36076 is an information disclosure vulnerability in IBM Cognos Analytics. The flaw affects versions 12.1.0 through 12.1.3 FP1 and 12.0.4 through 12.0.4 FP2. IBM Cognos Analytics stores sensitive information directly in source code accessible to authenticated users. An attacker with valid low-privilege credentials can retrieve this data and use it to escalate attacks against the system. The weakness is classified under [CWE-540: Inclusion of Sensitive Information in Source Code].

Critical Impact
Authenticated users can extract sensitive information embedded in application source code, providing intelligence for follow-on attacks against IBM Cognos Analytics deployments.

Affected Products

IBM Cognos Analytics 12.1.0 through 12.1.3 FP1
IBM Cognos Analytics 12.0.4 through 12.0.4 FP2
Deployments exposing the Cognos web interface to authenticated users

Discovery Timeline

2026-09-18 - CVE CVE-2025-36076 published to NVD
2026-09-18 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-36076

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from sensitive information embedded within source code files delivered by IBM Cognos Analytics. Authenticated users with network access to the application can retrieve these files and inspect their contents. The exposed data may include configuration values, internal endpoints, tokens, or other artifacts that assist reconnaissance. Exploitation requires low privileges and no user interaction, and the attack is executed remotely over the network. Impact is limited to confidentiality; integrity and availability are not affected. The Exploit Prediction Scoring System places this issue in the lower probability tier for near-term exploitation.

Root Cause

Developers included sensitive values inside source code shipped with IBM Cognos Analytics. Because the application serves portions of its source or client-side code to authenticated users, this information becomes readable once a session is established. The pattern maps to [CWE-540], where secrets or internal design details are exposed through code artifacts rather than protected server-side stores.

Attack Vector

An authenticated user with any valid Cognos account authenticates to the web interface and retrieves the source code containing the sensitive data. No elevated role, no user interaction, and no complex conditions are required. The attacker parses the disclosed content and reuses the harvested information to pivot toward configuration abuse, credential misuse, or targeted logic attacks against the Cognos deployment.

No verified proof-of-concept code is publicly available for CVE-2025-36076. See the IBM Support Page for vendor technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-36076

Indicators of Compromise

Authenticated sessions retrieving unusual volumes of static assets, script files, or source bundles from the Cognos web tier.
Access patterns from analytics accounts that deviate from normal report-consumption behavior.
Repeated requests targeting client-side JavaScript files or embedded configuration endpoints.

Detection Strategies

Review Cognos access logs for authenticated users enumerating source files or configuration URIs.
Correlate authenticated download activity with subsequent authentication anomalies or configuration probes.
Baseline expected request patterns for each Cognos role and alert on deviations.

Monitoring Recommendations

Ingest Cognos application and web server logs into a centralized analytics platform for continuous review.
Alert on account activity that combines source file enumeration with lateral movement attempts.
Track privileged access changes following any suspicious enumeration event.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-36076

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the fixed IBM Cognos Analytics release referenced in the vendor advisory as soon as testing permits.
Rotate any credentials, tokens, or keys that may have been embedded in the affected source code.
Audit Cognos user accounts and disable dormant or unnecessary authenticated access.

Patch Information

IBM has published remediation guidance on the IBM Support Page for IBM Cognos Analytics versions 12.1.0 through 12.1.3 FP1 and 12.0.4 through 12.0.4 FP2. Administrators should follow the vendor-supplied fix pack instructions and verify version strings after upgrade.

Workarounds

Restrict Cognos web access to trusted networks using firewall or reverse proxy controls until patching completes.
Enforce least privilege on Cognos accounts and remove unused authenticated identities.
Increase logging verbosity on the Cognos web tier to capture file-access events for post-incident review.

bash

# Example: restrict Cognos web tier to trusted CIDR ranges via iptables
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 9300 -s 10.0.0.0/8 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 9300 -j DROP