Cognos AnalyticsApplication · Ibm

CVE-2025-3633

HIGH · 8.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-05-27

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to 11.2.4 / 12.0.4 or later.

See remediation →

89/100

Remediation priority · High

Remotely reachable No privileges

Official description

NVD · unedited

IBM Cognos Analytics 11.2.0, 11.2.4, 12.0, and 12.1.0 and IBM Cognos Transformer 11.2.4, 12.0, and 12.1.0 are vulnerable to cross-site scripting (XSS). This vulnerability allows a remote attacker to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into the web user interface, which may alter the intended functionality and could lead to the disclosure of credentials within a trusted session.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM Cognos Analytics 11.2.0-12.1.0 and IBM Cognos Transformer 11.2.4-12.1.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into the web interface, potentially capturing credentials or session data within trusted user sessions.

MitigationApply IBM-supplied patches or upgrade to a non-vulnerable version; implement input validation, output encoding, and Content Security Policy headers as compensating controls until patches are applied.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions

NVD · CPE data

Cognos AnalyticsApplication

Affected:>= 11.2.0, < 11.2.4>= 12.0.0, < 12.0.4>= 12.1.0, < 12.1.2= 11.2.4= 12.0.4

Cognos TransformerApplication

Affected:= 11.2.4= 12.0= 12.1.0

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

Attack vector: Network
Complexity: Low
Privileges: None
User interaction: Required
Scope: Changed
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: Low
Availability: None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N

Am I affected?

dbcve checks

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

Confirm IBM Cognos product is installed

Locate IBM Cognos Analytics or Transformer installation by checking for the installation directory (commonly under /opt/ibm/cognos or C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos) or by looking for cognos-related processes or services running on the system

Affected if The product is not installed or is a different product entirely (not Cognos Analytics or Transformer)
Identify the installed Cognos version

Access the Cognos Analytics About page via the web interface (typically /ibmcognos/about) or check the version file in the installation directory (often bin\cognos_config.exe or version.properties). For Transformer, check the installed version through the Transformer configuration tool or PowerPlay menu.

Affected if Unable to determine the version - further investigation needed
Compare version against affected ranges

For Cognos Analytics: affected if version is 11.2.0-11.2.4, 12.0.0-12.0.4, or 12.1.0-12.1.1. For Cognos Transformer: affected if version is 11.2.4, 12.0, or 12.1.0. These include the listed versions AND the range endpoints.

Affected if Installed version falls within: Cognos Analytics 11.2.0 through 11.2.4 inclusive, 12.0.0 through 12.0.4 inclusive, or 12.1.0 through 12.1.1 inclusive; OR Cognos Transformer versions 11.2.4, 12.0, or 12.1.0
Verify web interface is accessible

Confirm the Cognos web portal is accessible by attempting to reach the Cognos Analytics gateway URL (typically /ibmcognos/cgi-bin/cognos.cgi) in a browser. This XSS affects the web interface specifically.

Affected if The web interface is exposed and reachable - the vulnerability requires user interaction with the web portal

You are affected if IBM Cognos Analytics (versions 11.2.0-11.2.4, 12.0.0-12.0.4, or 12.1.0-12.1.1) or IBM Cognos Transformer (versions 11.2.4, 12.0, or 12.1.0) is installed with the web interface enabled and your specific version matches one of the affected versions listed.

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

Remediation

dbcve · scoped

Upgrade available Upgrade to 11.2.4 / 12.0.4 / 12.1.2 or later

Fixed in 11.2.412.0.412.1.2

Interim mitigation

Apply IBM-supplied patches or upgrade to a non-vulnerable version; implement input validation, output encoding, and Content Security Policy headers as compensating controls until patches are applied.

Recommended fix High confidence

IBM Cognos Analytics 11.2.4+, 12.0.4+, or 12.1.2+; IBM Cognos Transformer 11.2.4+, 12.0.4+, or 12.1.2+ (depending on installed major version)

1. Identify the currently installed Cognos Analytics or Cognos Transformer version using the IBM Cognos Administration console or installation directories.
2. Determine the appropriate target version based on the current major release: For 11.2.x line, upgrade to 11.2.4 or later; For 12.0.x line, upgrade to 12.0.4 or later; For 12.1.x line, upgrade to 12.1.2 or later.
3. Review IBM Cognos Analytics upgrade documentation for your specific version path.
4. Perform a full backup of the Cognos configuration, content store database, and any custom configurations before upgrading.
5. Schedule a maintenance window as the upgrade may require system downtime.
6. Download the appropriate IBM Cognos Analytics or Cognos Transformer fix pack from IBM Fix Central (https://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/).
7. Apply the upgrade following IBM's standard installation procedures for the specific version.
8. After upgrade, verify the installation and test critical reports and dashboards.

Caveat Standard upgrade risks apply - test in non-production environment first; some custom configurations or third-party integrations may require revalidation after upgrade

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

Fix this in Cognos Analytics Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation4.0 h
Implementation8.0 h
Testing6.0 h
Review / QA4.0 h

22.0 hours of engineering $3,860

Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.

Scan for this in your stack

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References

Primary sources

www.ibm.comVendor Advisory
nvd.nist.govNVD record

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-3633 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2025-3633?

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

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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

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

At a glance

A fix existsUpgrade to 11.2.4 / 12.0.4 or later

Severity 8.2 High

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 0.3%

Affects: Cognos Analytics

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Fix this in Cognos Analytics 22 hrs · Moderate

Typical engagement from $3,860

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2025-3633 and return a fixed quote and timeline.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Check your environment

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.

Scan for this in your stack

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Am I affected?

Remediation

References