CVE-2025-36137Network attack vector

Administrator-to-root escalation via update scripts

Published Oct 30, 2025 · Updated Oct 30, 2025

Execution with unnecessary privileges in IBM Sterling Connect:Direct for UNIX allows remote authenticated users to run update scripts as root. Control Center Director runs administrator-supplied pre- and post-update scripts as root instead of the standard account that installed Connect:Direct. A privileged CCD user with maintenance rights can use the network-reachable update workflow to execute commands with root privileges, affecting host confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

CVSS severity7.2
High
EPSS probability0.33%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Execution with unnecessary privileges in IBM Sterling Connect:Direct for UNIX allows remote authenticated users to run update scripts as root. Control Center Director runs administrator-supplied pre- and post-update scripts as root instead of the standard account that installed Connect:Direct. A privileged CCD user with maintenance rights can use the network-reachable update workflow to execute commands with root privileges, affecting host confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-36137
Published
Oct 30, 2025
Updated
Oct 30, 2025
Vendor
IBM
Product
IBM Sterling Connect:Direct for UNIX
Classifications
CWE-250, T1068
Attack vector
network
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 30, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 30, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=6.2.0.7 <=6.2.0.9 iFix004
  2. Affected versionversion=6.3.0.2 <=6.3.0.5 iFix002
  3. Affected versionversion=6.4.0.0 <=6.4.0.2 iFix001

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

IBM · IBM Sterling Connect:Direct for UNIXversion=6.2.0.7 <=6.2.0.9 iFix004; version=6.3.0.2 <=6.3.0.5 iFix002; version=6.4.0.0 <=6.4.0.2 iFix001

Published CVSS scores

7.2IBMCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-250Execution with Unnecessary Privileges
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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