CVE-2025-36137
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 Sterling Connect Direct for Unix 6.2.0.7 through 6.2.0.9 iFix004, 6.4.0.0 through 6.4.0.2 iFix001, and 6.3.0.2 through 6.3.0.5 iFix002 incorrectly assigns permissions for maintenance tasks to Control Center Director (CCD) users that could allow a privileged user to escalate their privileges further due to unnecessary privilege assignment for post update scripts.
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 Sterling Connect Direct for Unix contains a privilege escalation vulnerability where Control Center Director (CCD) users are incorrectly assigned elevated permissions for maintenance tasks through post-update scripts. This allows already-privileged CCD users to gain additional unauthorized system privileges beyond their intended scope.
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>= 6.2.0.7, < 6.2.0.9>= 6.3.0.2, < 6.3.0.5>= 6.4.0.0, < 6.4.0.2= directCVSS 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
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/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 versionRun the version command for IBM Sterling Connect Direct (typically 'cdutil -version' or check the installation directory for version files) and note the full version numberAffected if The version falls within >= 6.2.0.7 and < 6.2.0.9, OR >= 6.3.0.2 and < 6.3.0.5, OR >= 6.4.0.0 and < 6.4.0.2
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Confirm CCD is configuredCheck if Control Center Director (CCD) is enabled in the IBM Sterling Connect Direct configuration. Look for CCD-related configuration files or check the installation for CCD components.Affected if CCD is installed and active in the environment
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Locate post-update scriptsSearch the installation directory for post-update scripts (typically found in maintenance or update-related directories). Examine these scripts for permission assignment logic.Affected if Post-update scripts exist and contain elevated permission assignments for CCD users
You are affected if your installed version is in the vulnerable range AND CCD is configured with post-update scripts that grant extra system privileges to CCD 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.
dbcve · scoped6.2.0.96.3.0.56.4.0.2
Apply the appropriate IBM iFix updates (iFix004 for 6.2.0.x, iFix001 for 6.4.0.x, iFix002 for 6.3.0.x) or upgrade to supported patched versions to remove unnecessary privilege assignments from CCD user post-update scripts.
IBM Sterling Connect Direct for Unix 6.2.0.9+, 6.3.0.5+, or 6.4.0.2+ (depending on your current branch)
- 1. Identify the current installed version of IBM Sterling Connect Direct for Unix using the version command or checking installation documentation.
- 2. Determine which version branch you are currently running (6.2.x, 6.3.x, or 6.4.x).
- 3. For 6.2.x branch: Upgrade to version 6.2.0.9 or later iFix that includes the security fix.
- 4. For 6.3.x branch: Upgrade to version 6.3.0.5 or later iFix that includes the security fix.
- 5. For 6.4.x branch: Upgrade to version 6.4.0.2 or later iFix that includes the security fix.
- 6. Contact IBM Support or visit the IBM Fix Central portal to obtain the specific security patch for your version.
- 7. Apply the security patch following IBM's standard patch installation procedures for Sterling Connect Direct.
- 8. Verify the patch was applied successfully by checking the version and reviewing any post-installation messages.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 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 $3,328.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-36137 — 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-2025-36137 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
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