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Cloud Pak Cyclops EUVDEUVD-2025-209931

| CVE-2025-36220 CRITICAL
SQL Injection (CWE-89)
2026-05-26 ibm GHSA-qpmr-4jcx-mc6p
9.8
CVSS 3.1 · NVD
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Obtain low-privilege credentials via phishing or reuse
  2. Delivery
    Authenticate to Cyclops web interface over network
  3. Exploit
    Craft SQL injection payload targeting vulnerable input field
  4. Execution
    Submit malicious request to application endpoint
  5. Persist
    Backend executes altered SQL query
  6. Impact
    Read, insert, modify, or delete database records

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization Parameterized queries, prepared statements
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Initial Access, Persistence

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires an authenticated session with at least low-privilege access, as confirmed by the CVSS vector PR:L - unauthenticated exploitation is explicitly not supported. The attack is network-accessible (AV:N) with low complexity (AC:L), meaning no special network position, race condition, or chained vulnerability is needed beyond valid credentials. The targeted system must be running IBM Cloud Pak for Data System - Cyclops in the version range 11.3.0.2 through Interim Fix 002. SSVC rates this as not automatable, indicating the vulnerable input handling likely requires structured, context-aware requests rather than trivially mass-exploitable network scanning. The primary factor limiting real-world risk is the low-privilege authentication prerequisite, which constrains the attacker pool to users who already have some form of legitimate or compromised system access.

Impact

The CVSS 4.3 Medium score reflects a constrained impact profile: network-accessible (AV:N), low complexity (AC:L), low privileges required (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), no confidentiality impact (C:N), limited integrity impact (I:L), and no availability impact (A:N). However, the vendor description states the attacker may also view data, suggesting the C:N assignment may underrepresent actual impact - this conflict should be verified with IBM. EPSS at 0.03% (9th percentile) indicates the vulnerability is far below the exploitation probability of most actively targeted flaws. SSVC corroborates this: exploitation is rated none, the attack is not automatable, and technical impact is partial. There is no CISA KEV listing and no known public exploit code. Combined, these signals classify this as a routine patch-cycle item rather than an urgent emergency response priority, provided access controls already limit the pool of authenticated low-privilege users.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who has obtained low-privilege credentials to IBM Cloud Pak for Data System - Cyclops - whether through phishing, credential reuse, or a prior compromise - authenticates to the application and submits a crafted HTTP request containing SQL meta-characters or injected subqueries targeting a vulnerable input field. The back-end database processes the altered query, returning unauthorized records or permitting data modification without additional privilege escalation. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, so exploitation currently requires manual crafting of SQL payloads.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Why: CRITICAL severity.
Patch available 0.0% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Jun 08, 2026

SQL injection in IBM Cloud Pak for Data System - Cyclops 11.3.0.2 through Interim Fix 002 permits authenticated remote attackers to send specially crafted SQL statements that manipulate back-end database content - enabling unauthorized data reads, inserts, modifications, or deletions. The CVSS vector scores confidentiality impact as none (C:N), yet the vendor description explicitly states attackers may view data, a discrepancy that warrants direct verification against IBM's advisory. No public exploit has been identified at time of analysis, EPSS sits at 0.03% (9th percentile), and CISA SSVC rates exploitation as none, collectively indicating low near-term exploitation risk.

RemediationAI

Apply the vendor-released patch documented in IBM's security advisory at https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7273923. The patch is confirmed available from IBM, though the specific fixed version identifier (e.g., Interim Fix 003 or later) is not independently stated in available intelligence data and must be obtained directly from the advisory. As a compensating control prior to patching, restrict access to the Cyclops interface to the minimum set of necessary authenticated users and enforce network-layer controls (firewall rules, VPN gating) to limit exposure of the application endpoint to trusted networks only - noting this does not eliminate the vulnerability but reduces the attacker pool. Deploying a web application firewall with SQL injection detection rules can provide additional detection coverage, though WAF bypasses are common for SQLi and this should not substitute for patching.

Affected VersionsENISA

Cloud Pak for Data System - Cyclops 11.3.0.2 ≤Interim Fix 002

Affects your stack

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Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command) indicates that user-controlled input is incorporated into SQL queries without adequate parameterization or escaping, allowing attackers to alter query logic. The affected product, identified via CPE cpe:2.3:a:ibm:cloud_pak_for_data_system_-_cyclops, is the Cyclops component of IBM Cloud Pak for Data System - an enterprise-grade data analytics and AI platform typically deployed on-premises or in hybrid cloud environments. Because this is an application-layer flaw (AV:N, AC:L), the injection point is accessible over the network through the product's API or web interface, requiring no exploitation of underlying OS or network-layer controls.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY 9.8 CRITICAL
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorNVD

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Severity Changed
Jul 24, 2026 - 11:22 NVD
MEDIUM CRITICAL
CVSS changed
Jul 24, 2026 - 11:22 NVD
4.3 (MEDIUM) 9.8 (CRITICAL)

DescriptionNVD

IBM Cloud Pak for Data System - Cyclops 11.3.0.2 through Interim Fix 002 IBM Cloud Pak for Data System is vulnerable to SQL injection. A remote attacker could send specially crafted SQL statements, which could allow the attacker to view, add, modify, or delete information in the back-end database.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.0%
Top 91% exploitable
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity CRITICAL
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.0%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
CRITICAL severity
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact· derived
Medium
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

49
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +49
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

SQL injection exploits the way applications construct database queries by mixing user input directly into SQL statements.

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