CVE-2025-36105 in Planning Analytics Advanced Certified Containers
Summary
by MITRE • 03/10/2026
IBM Planning Analytics Advanced Certified Containers 3.1.0 through 3.1.4 could allow a local privileged user to obtain sensitive information from environment variables.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2026
IBM Planning Analytics Advanced Certified Containers version 3.1.0 through 3.1.4 contains a vulnerability that permits local privileged users to extract sensitive information from environment variables. This issue arises from inadequate protection mechanisms within the containerized environment that fails to properly sanitize or restrict access to environment variables containing confidential data. The vulnerability specifically affects systems where privileged containers are deployed and allows attackers with local access to potentially retrieve authentication tokens, database credentials, API keys, or other sensitive configuration parameters that are stored in environment variables. The flaw represents a classic information disclosure vulnerability that can be categorized under CWE-200, which deals with the exposure of sensitive information to an unauthorized actor. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant risk for organizations deploying IBM Planning Analytics in containerized environments, as it provides an attack vector for privilege escalation and lateral movement within the system. The impact is particularly concerning when considering that environment variables often contain critical system credentials and configuration data that should remain protected from unauthorized access. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.001, which focuses on unsecured credentials, and T1068, which covers privilege escalation through local system access. Organizations using these container versions should immediately implement mitigations including proper environment variable sanitization, access control restrictions, and comprehensive monitoring of container environments for unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure container deployment practices and proper isolation of sensitive data within containerized applications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the container runtime environment failing to properly isolate environment variables from local privileged users who can access the underlying host system. When containers are deployed with elevated privileges, they often retain access to environment variables that contain sensitive configuration information. This creates a direct pathway for information disclosure where an attacker with local access can enumerate and extract these variables without proper authorization controls. The issue manifests particularly in container configurations where the security context does not adequately restrict access to environment variables, allowing for potential data exfiltration through various enumeration techniques. The vulnerability can be exploited through local system access points, including shell access or other privileged execution environments where the attacker can query environment variables directly. This type of information disclosure can lead to cascading security issues where stolen credentials can be used to access additional systems and resources within the network infrastructure. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that environment variables are commonly used to store configuration data including database connection strings, authentication tokens, and service credentials that are essential for system operation but must remain protected from unauthorized access. Organizations should implement proper container security controls including restricted access to environment variables, regular security assessments of container configurations, and comprehensive monitoring solutions that can detect unauthorized attempts to access sensitive information. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper container security implementation and the need for organizations to maintain strict access controls and information protection mechanisms within their containerized environments.
Organizations should address this vulnerability through immediate patching of affected IBM Planning Analytics container versions, along with comprehensive security hardening of container environments. The recommended mitigation strategies include implementing proper container security policies that restrict access to environment variables, utilizing container runtime security solutions that monitor and control environment variable access, and conducting thorough security assessments of all containerized applications. Security teams should also implement continuous monitoring solutions that can detect unauthorized access attempts to environment variables and other sensitive system information. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure container deployment practices and implementing proper access control mechanisms that prevent unauthorized users from accessing sensitive configuration data. Organizations should also consider implementing privileged access management solutions and regular security audits to ensure that container environments maintain appropriate security postures. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of patched environments to ensure that security controls are properly implemented and that no regression issues affect system functionality. Additionally, security teams should establish incident response procedures specifically designed to handle information disclosure vulnerabilities in containerized environments, ensuring rapid response and mitigation of potential security breaches. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical need for organizations to maintain robust security controls across all system components, particularly in containerized environments where traditional security boundaries may not adequately protect sensitive information.