CVE-2025-33079
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 Controller 11.0.0, 11.0.1, and 11.1.0 application could allow an authenticated user to obtain sensitive credentials that may be inadvertently included within the source code.
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 Controller versions 11.0.0, 11.0.1, and 11.1.0 contain a vulnerability where authenticated users can obtain sensitive credentials that are inadvertently exposed within the source code. This credential leakage could allow privilege escalation or unauthorized access to connected systems.
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= 11.0.0= 11.0.1= 11.1.0CVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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 installed IBM Controller versionLocate the IBM Controller installation directory and check the version information. This is typically found in the program's 'About' dialog, installation logs, or version files within the main application folder (commonly in Program Files/IBM/Cognos/Controller or similar). Compare the installed version against the affected versions: 11.0.0, 11.0.1, and 11.1.0.Affected if The installed version is 11.0.0, 11.0.1, or 11.1.0
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Search for hardcoded credentials in source code filesExamine the IBM Controller application source code and configuration files for any hardcoded credentials. Search within common source code directories (such as web content, Java, .NET, or script files) for patterns resembling passwords, API keys, connection strings, or other secret values that appear as literal strings rather than being retrieved from secure storage.Affected if Hardcoded credentials, passwords, API keys, or secret tokens are found embedded directly in source code files
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Review user access logs for credential-related accessExamine IBM Controller access logs and audit trails for any instances where users accessed source code files, configuration files, or areas where credentials might be stored. Look for unusual or unauthorized access patterns to sensitive file locations.Affected if Users have accessed source code or configuration files that contain exposed credentials, or if credential-related files show unexpected access patterns
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Verify if authentication is required and enforcedConfirm that the IBM Controller system requires authentication for access. The vulnerability states that authenticated users can obtain the exposed credentials, so determine whether user authentication is enabled and properly enforced in the environment.Affected if Authentication is enabled and users can log in (which would give them potential access to the exposed credentials in source code)
A user is affected if they are running IBM Controller versions 11.0.0, 11.0.1, or 11.1.0, have authentication enabled, and hardcoded credentials exist in the application's source code that could be accessed by authenticated users.
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.
From vendor dataIdentify and remove any hardcoded credentials from the source code, immediately rotate all exposed credentials to new secure values, and apply the vendor patch when released. Review access logs for any unauthorized use of the exposed credentials.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-33079 — 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-2025-33079 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