CVE-2025-36376: IBM QRadar EDR Auth Bypass Vulnerability

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

bash

# 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