CVE-2025-13689
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 could allow an authenticated user to execute arbitrary commands and gain access to sensitive information due to unrestricted file uploads.
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 · high confidenceIBM DataStage on Cloud Pak for Data contains a file upload vulnerability that allows authenticated users to upload files without proper validation, enabling arbitrary command execution on the underlying system and access to sensitive data.
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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Check the IBM DataStage versionUse the Cloud Pak for Data administration console or CLI to retrieve the installed version of IBM DataStage. Compare it against the affected range: version 5.1.2 or higher but lower than 5.3.1.Affected if The installed version falls within >= 5.1.2 and < 5.3.1
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Verify authenticated user access to file uploadReview user roles and permissions in Cloud Pak for Data to determine if standard authenticated users have access to file upload functionality within DataStage jobs or pipelines.Affected if Authenticated users can access file upload features in DataStage without elevated administrative privileges
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Inspect file storage location configurationExamine the DataStage configuration and deployment settings to determine where uploaded files are stored. Check if files are placed within the web-accessible directory structure.Affected if Uploaded files are stored in web-accessible directories or the web root
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Review file upload validation controlsInspect the file upload implementation or any custom configurations to verify whether file type validation, content inspection, and execution prevention are properly configured.Affected if No file type restrictions, content validation, or execution prevention is configured for the file upload feature
Your environment is affected if the installed IBM DataStage version is 5.1.2 or higher but lower than 5.3.1 and authenticated users can upload files through DataStage without proper validation controls in place.
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
Implement strict file type validation, enforce file size limits, store uploads outside web root, disable script execution on upload directories, and apply principle of least privilege to authenticated users.
5.3.1 or later
- 1. Review IBM Cloud Pak for Data release notes and migration documentation before upgrading
- 2. Ensure you have a complete backup of your current DataStage configuration and data
- 3. Schedule a maintenance window for the upgrade process
- 4. Upgrade IBM Cloud Pak for Data to version 5.3.1 or later
- 5. After upgrade, verify that DataStage services are running correctly
- 6. Test DataStage pipelines to ensure functionality is intact
- 7. Review IBM security bulletins for any post-upgrade configuration recommendations
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $10,240.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-13689 — 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-2025-13689 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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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- 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