CVE-2025-13686
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedIBM DataStage on Cloud Pak for Data 5.1.2 through 5.3.0 could allow an authenticated user to execute arbitrary commands with normal user privileges on the system due to improper validation of user supplied input through the job subroutine component.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceIBM DataStage on Cloud Pak for Data versions 5.1.2 through 5.3.0 contains a command injection vulnerability in the job subroutine component. Due to improper validation of user-supplied input, an authenticated user can execute arbitrary operating system commands with the privileges of the DataStage user account (normal user privileges, not elevated).
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data>= 5.1.2, < 5.3.1CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed IBM DataStage versionUse the Cloud Pak for Data administration console or run the appropriate version query command for your installation to determine the exact DataStage version numberAffected if the installed version is 5.1.2 through 5.3.0 inclusive
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Verify job subroutine component accessCheck whether the job subroutine functionality is enabled and accessible to authenticated users in your DataStage environment through the administration or user management consoleAffected if job subroutine functionality is available to users with normal privileges without additional restrictions
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Review user privilege assignmentsExamine the user roles and permissions configured in Cloud Pak for Data to determine which users have access to the job subroutine featureAffected if users with standard (non-admin) privileges can access or modify job subroutines
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Inspect execution logs for anomalous commandsReview DataStage job execution logs and system audit logs for any unexpected or suspicious command patterns that may indicate exploitationAffected if logs contain command execution patterns that were not initiated by authorized administrators or that exhibit abnormal behavior
You are affected if your IBM DataStage on Cloud Pak for Data installation runs version 5.1.2 through 5.3.0 and the job subroutine component is accessible to authenticated users with normal privileges.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped5.3.1
Upgrade IBM DataStage to a version beyond 5.3.0 once the vendor patch is available, or apply IBM's published security patch for this vulnerability. Until patched, restrict access to the job subroutine functionality to only trusted authenticated users.
5.3.1 or later
- Plan and schedule a maintenance window for the upgrade
- Back up all DataStage jobs, configurations, and Cloud Pak for Data deployment data
- Upgrade IBM DataStage on Cloud Pak for Data to version 5.3.1 or later
- After upgrade, verify the DataStage services are running correctly
- Confirm the vulnerability is resolved by testing job subroutine functionality with authenticated users
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-13686 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-13686 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data