CVE-2025-36376 Overview
IBM Security QRadar EDR versions 3.12 through 3.12.23 contains a session management vulnerability that fails to properly invalidate sessions after expiration. This insufficient session expiration flaw (CWE-613) could allow an authenticated user to impersonate another user on the system by exploiting stale session tokens that should have been invalidated.
Critical Impact
An authenticated attacker could leverage expired session tokens to impersonate other users, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive security data and EDR functionality.
Affected Products
- IBM Security QRadar EDR 3.12
- IBM Security QRadar EDR 3.12.1 through 3.12.23
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-02-17 - CVE CVE-2025-36376 published to NVD
- 2026-02-18 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-36376
Vulnerability Analysis
This vulnerability stems from improper session lifecycle management within IBM Security QRadar EDR. When a user's session expires, the application fails to properly invalidate the session token on the server side. This creates a window of opportunity where expired session credentials remain valid and can be used to authenticate requests.
The attack requires network access and low privileges, meaning an authenticated user with minimal access rights could potentially escalate their effective permissions by hijacking sessions of more privileged users. The impact spans confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as successful exploitation could allow access to sensitive EDR data, modification of security configurations, and potential disruption of endpoint detection capabilities.
Root Cause
The root cause of CVE-2025-36376 is classified as CWE-613: Insufficient Session Expiration. The application does not properly enforce session timeout policies on the server side. When a session expires based on configured timeout values, the session identifier remains valid in the server's session store, allowing continued use of the expired token for authentication.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based and requires the attacker to have low-level authenticated access to the QRadar EDR system. The exploitation scenario involves:
- An attacker with valid user credentials authenticates to the QRadar EDR application
- The attacker captures or obtains session tokens (their own or through other means)
- After session expiration, the attacker reuses the expired session token
- The server accepts the expired token, allowing continued access or impersonation
The vulnerability does not require user interaction, making it exploitable whenever an attacker has network access and valid credentials. Due to the nature of session management flaws, exploitation typically involves intercepting or reusing session cookies/tokens that should have been invalidated.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-36376
Indicators of Compromise
- Monitor for session tokens being used beyond their expected expiration time
- Look for authentication events where the same session ID appears after a logout or timeout event
- Detect patterns of session reuse across different source IP addresses
- Review logs for user activity inconsistent with normal working patterns or time zones
Detection Strategies
- Implement session activity logging that tracks session creation, usage, and expected expiration times
- Configure alerting for session tokens used after their expiration timestamp
- Deploy network monitoring to detect session token replay attempts
- Correlate authentication logs with session management events to identify anomalies
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose logging for QRadar EDR authentication and session management components
- Set up alerts for multiple authentication sources using the same session identifier
- Monitor for lateral movement patterns that could indicate user impersonation
- Review QRadar EDR audit logs regularly for signs of session abuse
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-36376
Immediate Actions Required
- Review the IBM Support Page for official patch and mitigation guidance
- Audit current user sessions and force re-authentication for all users
- Reduce session timeout values to minimize the exploitation window
- Implement additional session validation controls where possible
- Monitor for signs of session abuse while awaiting patch deployment
Patch Information
IBM has published security guidance for this vulnerability. Organizations running affected versions of IBM Security QRadar EDR (versions 3.12 through 3.12.23) should consult the IBM Support Page for the latest patch information and upgrade instructions. Apply the vendor-recommended security update as soon as it becomes available.
Workarounds
- Implement shorter session timeout values to reduce the window for session reuse
- Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an additional authentication layer
- Configure network segmentation to limit access to the QRadar EDR management interface
- Deploy session anomaly detection at the network or application level
- Force periodic re-authentication for sensitive operations within the platform
# Example: Reducing session timeout in web application configurations
# Consult IBM documentation for QRadar EDR-specific session configuration
# General approach - reduce session validity period
session.timeout=15m
session.absolute_timeout=2h
session.idle_timeout=10m
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
