CVE-2025-13489 in UCD
Summary
by MITRE • 12/15/2025
IBM UCD - IBM DevOps Deploy 8.1 through 8.1.2.3 IBM DevOps Deploy transmits data in clear text that could allow an attacker to obtain sensitive information using man in the middle techniques.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/26/2025
IBM DevOps Deploy version 8.1 through 8.1.2.3 contains a critical security vulnerability that exposes sensitive data through unencrypted transmission channels. This vulnerability falls under CWE-319 - Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information, which specifically addresses the transmission of confidential data without adequate encryption mechanisms. The flaw allows attackers to intercept communications using man-in-the-middle techniques, potentially compromising authentication credentials, configuration data, and other sensitive operational information. The vulnerability represents a significant weakness in the security posture of IBM UCD environments, particularly in scenarios where network traffic traverses untrusted or shared network segments. Attackers can exploit this weakness to capture and analyze network packets to extract sensitive information that should normally be protected through secure communication protocols.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to enforce encrypted communication channels for data transmission between client components and the server infrastructure. This weakness affects various operational aspects including but not limited to user authentication tokens, deployment configurations, environment variables, and system credentials that are transmitted in plaintext format. The impact extends beyond simple credential theft to encompass potential system compromise through the acquisition of deployment artifacts and operational parameters that could enable further attacks. The vulnerability affects the core communication protocols used by IBM DevOps Deploy, particularly those related to REST API interactions, configuration management, and deployment orchestration components. Network traffic analysis tools can easily capture and decode transmitted data without requiring advanced cryptographic attacks or specialized equipment.
The operational implications of this vulnerability are severe and multifaceted across enterprise DevOps environments. Organizations utilizing IBM UCD within this affected version range face significant risk of unauthorized access to deployment pipelines, sensitive configuration data, and operational credentials that could facilitate lateral movement within network environments. The vulnerability creates opportunities for attackers to gain insights into deployment strategies, system architectures, and operational procedures that could be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks. This weakness particularly impacts organizations with distributed deployment environments where network traffic may traverse multiple segments or be exposed to potential interception points. The exposure of deployment data through clear text transmission could lead to complete system compromise when combined with other reconnaissance activities or privilege escalation techniques.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing mandatory encryption protocols for all communication channels within IBM UCD environments. Organizations should immediately implement TLS encryption for all API endpoints and administrative interfaces to prevent clear text transmission of sensitive data. The implementation of secure communication protocols should include mandatory use of TLS 1.2 or higher versions with strong cryptographic algorithms to prevent downgrade attacks. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be configured to restrict access to IBM UCD components and enforce encrypted communication channels. Additionally, organizations should implement network monitoring solutions capable of detecting and alerting on clear text transmission attempts or unusual network traffic patterns. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to verify that encryption mechanisms are properly implemented and functioning as intended. The vulnerability also necessitates immediate review of network security policies and implementation of zero-trust principles for all DevOps infrastructure components. According to ATT&CK framework technique T1046 - Network Service Scanning and T1566 - Phishing, this vulnerability creates opportunities for initial access and credential harvesting that could lead to broader compromise of development and deployment environments.