CVE-2025-14917 in WebSphere Application Server
Summary
by MITRE • 03/25/2026
IBM WebSphere Application Server - Liberty 17.0.0.3 through 26.0.0.3 IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty could provide weaker than expected security when administering security settings.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/28/2026
IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty version 17.0.0.3 through 26.0.0.3 contains a vulnerability that affects the administration of security settings, potentially leading to reduced security posture. This vulnerability falls under the category of security misconfiguration issues that can undermine the integrity of the application server's security framework. The flaw specifically impacts how security settings are administered within the Liberty profile, creating potential attack vectors that adversaries could exploit to gain unauthorized access or manipulate security configurations. According to CWE-264, this vulnerability relates to permissions, privileges, and access controls, which represents a fundamental weakness in the security architecture. The affected versions span across multiple release lines of the Liberty profile, indicating this issue has persisted through several iterations of the software. Organizations running these specific versions face elevated risk when managing security policies through the administrative interfaces of the application server. The vulnerability could enable attackers to bypass security controls, modify access permissions, or manipulate authentication mechanisms that should otherwise protect the server environment. This weakness aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and legitimate credentials, as compromised administrative access could allow adversaries to maintain persistent access to the system. The security implications extend beyond simple configuration issues, as improper administration of security settings can lead to privilege escalation and unauthorized data access. The affected range suggests that organizations using any version within this spectrum should consider immediate remediation actions to prevent potential exploitation. The vulnerability impacts the core security administration functionality, which means that even properly configured applications could be at risk if administrators use the affected server versions. This type of weakness typically arises from insufficient validation of administrative inputs or inadequate access controls during security setting modifications. The issue represents a significant concern for enterprises relying on IBM WebSphere Liberty for their application hosting needs, particularly in environments where security is paramount. Organizations should prioritize updating to patched versions or implementing compensating controls to mitigate the risk of unauthorized security configuration changes. The vulnerability demonstrates how administrative interfaces, when improperly secured, can become primary attack targets for adversaries seeking to compromise entire systems. This weakness could be exploited by both internal and external threat actors who gain access to administrative credentials or exploit the underlying security misconfiguration. The potential for privilege escalation makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous in multi-tenant or complex enterprise environments where multiple security domains exist. Security administrators should conduct thorough assessments of their current deployment configurations to identify any instances where this vulnerability might be present. The affected versions suggest that the issue has been present for an extended period, indicating that many organizations may be unknowingly running vulnerable systems. This vulnerability type often requires careful monitoring and regular security assessments to ensure that administrative interfaces remain properly protected. Organizations implementing security controls should verify that their administrative access logging and monitoring systems can detect anomalous behavior related to security setting modifications. The impact of this vulnerability extends to compliance requirements, as improper security administration can result in failed audits and regulatory violations. Proper patch management and version control procedures should include verification of administrative security features in application server environments to prevent exploitation of such weaknesses. The vulnerability represents a gap in the security architecture that could be leveraged to undermine the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of applications hosted on the affected servers.