CVE-2025-0161 in Security Verify Access
Summary
by MITRE • 02/20/2025
IBM Security Verify Access Appliance 10.0.0.0 through 10.0.0.9 and 11.0.0.0 could allow a local user to execute arbitrary code due to improper restrictions on code generation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/09/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-0161 affects IBM Security Verify Access Appliance versions 10.0.0.0 through 10.0.0.9 and 11.0.0.0.0, representing a critical security flaw that enables local users to execute arbitrary code through improper restrictions on code generation mechanisms. This vulnerability resides within the appliance's code generation capabilities, which are typically designed to provide dynamic functionality while maintaining strict security boundaries. The flaw manifests when the system fails to adequately validate or restrict code generation operations, allowing a local attacker with minimal privileges to manipulate these mechanisms and inject malicious code that executes with the privileges of the affected service.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the appliance's code generation framework. When legitimate code generation processes are invoked, the system should enforce strict boundaries to prevent unauthorized code execution. However, the flaw allows attackers to bypass these protective measures, potentially leveraging the code generation functionality to compile and execute malicious payloads directly on the target system. This represents a classic case of insufficient code validation, aligning with CWE-74 and CWE-94 categories that address improper input validation and code injection vulnerabilities. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it operates at the local user level, meaning attackers do not require network access or complex remote exploitation techniques.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations relying on IBM Security Verify Access Appliance for identity and access management services. A successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain full control over the appliance, potentially compromising the entire identity management infrastructure. The implications extend beyond immediate system compromise, as the appliance serves as a critical component in access control, authentication, and authorization processes across enterprise networks. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges, establish persistent backdoors, or use the compromised appliance as a pivot point to target other systems within the network. The local execution requirement reduces detection probability compared to remote exploits, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where local access is difficult to monitor and control.
Security mitigations for CVE-2025-0161 should prioritize immediate patching of affected appliance versions to address the underlying code generation restrictions. Organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring of code generation activities and establish strict access controls for local user accounts with elevated privileges. Network segmentation and principle of least privilege should be enforced to limit potential attack surfaces, while regular security audits should verify proper implementation of access controls and input validation mechanisms. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) and T1068 (Local Privilege Escalation) indicates that defensive measures should include endpoint detection and response capabilities to identify suspicious code generation patterns and unauthorized privilege escalation attempts. Additionally, organizations should review and strengthen their local access controls, implement privileged access management solutions, and conduct regular penetration testing to identify similar weaknesses in their security infrastructure.