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IOperating system · Ibm

CVE-2025-33109

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-07-24
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

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 · unedited
IBM i 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, and 7.6 is vulnerable to a privilege escalation caused by an invalid database authority check. A bad actor could execute a database procedure or function without having all required permissions, in addition to causing denial of service for some database actions.

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 confidence

IBM i versions 7.2 through 7.6 contain a privilege escalation vulnerability where database authority checks are improperly validated, allowing authenticated users to execute database procedures or functions without possessing all required permissions. This could enable unauthorized data access or modification, and also permits denial of service against certain database operations.

MitigationApply the latest IBM i PTFs (Program Temporary Fixes) for this vulnerability. Review database object permissions and audit database procedure/function executions to detect any exploitation attempts.

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
IOperating system
Affected:= 7.2= 7.3= 7.4= 7.5= 7.6

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check IBM i version
    Run command 'DSPSYSVAL SYSVAL(QSWORKLEN)' or use 'WRKCFGSTS' to view system version. Alternatively, use 'GO CMDMSDF' option 1 to display system information including the release (V7R2, V7R3, V7R4, V7R5, or V7R6).
    Affected if The system runs IBM i version 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, or 7.6 and does not have the CVE-specific PTFs applied.
  2. Verify PTF status for this vulnerability
    Contact IBM support or check the IBM i PTF database for PTFs associated with CVE-2025-33109. Use command 'DSPSFWRSC' to list installed software resources, then compare against IBM's published PTF numbers for this CVE. If using IBM i Navigator, right-click the system and select 'Apply PTF' to check available PTFs.
    Affected if The system is missing the IBM-provided PTFs that address this specific vulnerability.
  3. Review database object authority
    Use 'DSPAUTLOBJ OBJ(*ALL) OBJTYPE(*DB) or run 'WRKOBJOWN' for database objects. Check the 'Object Authority' column for procedures and functions in libraries containing sensitive data. Use 'DSPOBJAUT' on specific database files, tables, or procedures to inspect current permissions.
    Affected if Database objects have overly permissive authority grants that could be exploited, or users have more database permissions than intended.
  4. Enable and review database audit journal
    Run 'CHGOBJAUD OBJ(*ALL) OBJTYPE(*DB) OBJAUD(*ALL)' to enable auditing on database objects, then review QAUDJRN using 'DSPJRN' or 'QSYS2.SET_JOURNAL_ENTRY_INFO' API. Look for unexpected calls to procedures or functions, especially by users who should not have authority.
    Affected if Audit records show database procedure or function executions by users lacking explicit authority to those objects.
  5. Check for unauthorized database procedure execution
    Query system catalogs using 'SELECT * FROM QSYS2.SYSPROCS' and 'SELECT * FROM QSYS2.SYSFUNCS' to list all procedures and functions. Cross-reference with user profiles in 'SELECT * FROM QSYS2.USER_INFO' to identify any anomalous privilege patterns.
    Affected if Users who should not have access are shown as having execute authority to sensitive database procedures or functions.

The environment is affected if running IBM i version 7.2-7.6 without the CVE-specific PTFs applied, or if database audit logs reveal unauthorized procedure/function executions by users lacking full required permissions.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the latest IBM i PTFs (Program Temporary Fixes) for this vulnerability. Review database object permissions and audit database procedure/function executions to detect any exploitation attempts.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

IBM i 7.6 or later (or latest available PTF for your current version)

  1. Identify the current IBM i version using WRKOBJ *PGM/QSYSINC *FILE or DSPSFWR to confirm the exact release level
  2. Contact IBM support or access the IBM Fix Central portal (https://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral) to obtain the latest security patches for your specific IBM i version
  3. Request and apply the PTF (Program Temporary Fix) that addresses CVE-2025-33109 for your respective version (7.2, 7.3, 7.4, or 7.5)
  4. After applying the PTF, verify the fix is loaded using DSPSFWR and confirm the database authority behavior is corrected
  5. Test database procedures and functions to confirm normal permission checking is restored
  6. Monitor for any unexpected behavior or service disruptions following the patch
Caveat Review IBM PTF documentation for any known side effects or required companion PTFs; test in non-production environment before applying to production

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in I Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-33109 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data