CVE-2025-36105: IBM Planning Analytics Info Disclosure

CVE-2025-36105 Overview

CVE-2025-36105 is an information disclosure vulnerability affecting IBM Planning Analytics Advanced Certified Containers versions 3.1.0 through 3.1.4. This vulnerability allows a local privileged user to obtain sensitive information from environment variables, potentially exposing credentials, API keys, or other confidential configuration data stored within containerized deployments.

Critical Impact

Local privileged attackers can extract sensitive information from environment variables in containerized IBM Planning Analytics deployments, potentially leading to credential theft and lateral movement within enterprise environments.

Affected Products

• IBM Planning Analytics Advanced Certified Containers 3.1.0
• IBM Planning Analytics Advanced Certified Containers 3.1.1 through 3.1.3
• IBM Planning Analytics Advanced Certified Containers 3.1.4

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-10 - CVE-2025-36105 published to NVD
• 2026-03-11 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-36105

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-526 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information in an Environment Variable). The flaw exists because sensitive information is stored in environment variables within the containerized application without adequate protection. When a privileged local user gains access to the container or the host system, they can enumerate and read these environment variables to extract sensitive data.

The attack requires local access and high privileges, meaning the attacker must already have elevated access to the system or container environment. However, once this access is obtained, the confidentiality impact is significant as the attacker can retrieve sensitive configuration data that may include database credentials, API tokens, encryption keys, or other secrets commonly stored in environment variables within containerized deployments.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the improper handling of sensitive information within IBM Planning Analytics Advanced Certified Containers. The application stores sensitive configuration data in cleartext environment variables, which can be accessed by any user with sufficient privileges on the container or host system. This violates the principle of least privilege and secure secrets management best practices, where sensitive data should be stored in encrypted secret stores or secure vaults rather than environment variables.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local, requiring the adversary to have privileged access to the affected system. An attacker with local administrative or root-level access to the container host or the container itself can execute commands to list and read environment variables. Common methods include using commands such as printenv, env, or reading from /proc/[pid]/environ on Linux systems. In Kubernetes environments, attackers with appropriate RBAC permissions could also retrieve secrets mounted as environment variables through the API.

The exploitation does not require user interaction and can be performed with low complexity once the prerequisite access is obtained. While the attack does not directly impact system integrity or availability, the high confidentiality impact means that exposed credentials could enable further attacks, including privilege escalation or lateral movement to other systems.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-36105

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual enumeration of environment variables by privileged users or processes
• Unexpected access to /proc/*/environ files on container hosts
• Anomalous kubectl commands querying secrets or pod environment configurations
• Access logs showing environment variable retrieval outside normal application behavior

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for commands that enumerate environment variables such as printenv, env, or set executed by users other than application service accounts
• Implement audit logging on container runtimes to track process execution and environment access
• Deploy runtime security tools that detect suspicious activity within containers, including secrets enumeration
• Review Kubernetes audit logs for unauthorized access to secrets or pod specifications

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive audit logging on container orchestration platforms
• Configure alerts for privileged access to sensitive namespaces or pods containing IBM Planning Analytics
• Implement file integrity monitoring on container images and runtime environments
• Regularly review access logs for anomalous patterns indicating potential reconnaissance activity

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-36105

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade IBM Planning Analytics Advanced Certified Containers to the latest patched version as specified by IBM
• Review and audit current environment variable configurations for sensitive data exposure
• Migrate sensitive credentials from environment variables to secure secret management solutions
• Restrict privileged access to container hosts and minimize users with elevated permissions

Patch Information

IBM has released security guidance for this vulnerability. Administrators should consult the IBM Support Page for detailed patch information and upgrade instructions. Apply the recommended updates to all affected IBM Planning Analytics Advanced Certified Containers deployments running versions 3.1.0 through 3.1.4.

Workarounds

• Implement Kubernetes Secrets or external secret management solutions (HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager) instead of environment variables for sensitive data
• Apply strict RBAC policies to limit which users and service accounts can access pod specifications and secrets
• Use pod security policies or admission controllers to restrict privileged container access
• Isolate IBM Planning Analytics containers in dedicated namespaces with enhanced security controls