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CODE RED • ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE ALERT

How to Fix CVE-2025-36386: IBM Maximo Critical Flaw Exposing Business Data

By CyberDudeBivash • October 29, 2025 •

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Disclosure: This is a security analysis for IT and security professionals. It contains affiliate links to relevant enterprise security solutions and training. Your support helps fund our independent research.

TL;DR

The Threat:** A critical, unauthenticated SQL Injection (SQLi) vulnerability, CVE-2025-36386, has been found in internet-facing IBM Maximo API endpoints.
**The Impact:** The flaw is being actively exploited to dump the backend database (stealing all asset data, PII, and financial information) and, in some cases, achieve full Remote Code Execution (RCE) on the server.
**The Fix:** You must **patch your Maximo installation immediately** with the fix pack from IBM.
**The Hunt:** If you cannot patch, **immediately apply a WAF rule** to block the vulnerable endpoint. You must “Assume Breach” and use the SOC Hunt Kit in this report to hunt for signs of compromise.

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Definitive Guide: Table of Contents

Part 1: The Executive Briefing — The “Crown Jewel” Is Under Attack

This is a CODE RED alert for all organizations using **IBM Maximo Application Suite**. A critical, unauthenticated SQL Injection (SQLi) vulnerability, **CVE-2025-36386**, has been discovered in an internet-facing API endpoint. Threat intelligence confirms this flaw is being actively exploited in the wild.

For CISOs, this is a catastrophic scenario. Your Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system is a Tier-0 “crown jewel” asset. It is the beating heart of your industrial or critical infrastructure operations. A compromise of Maximo is not just a data breach; it is an existential threat to your entire business. Attackers can steal your sensitive financial data, intellectual property, and detailed supply chain information. Worse, they can gain the knowledge needed to conduct physical sabotage by manipulating your asset maintenance schedules.

Part 2: Technical Deep Dive — A Masterclass on the SQLi Kill Chain (CVE-2025-36386)

The Flaw: Unauthenticated SQL Injection

The vulnerability exists in a legacy API endpoint of the Maximo web client (e.g., `/maximo/webclient/utility/unauth_reporter`). This endpoint was designed to allow unauthenticated users to query basic status information. However, a parameter in the request is improperly sanitized and is concatenated directly into a raw SQL query. This allows an attacker to “break out” of the intended query and inject their own malicious commands.

The Kill Chain: From Injection to Full Takeover

**Scanning:** Attackers are using automated scanners to find all internet-exposed `/maximo/webclient/` portals.
**Fingerprinting:** The attacker sends a time-based or boolean-based blind SQLi payload to the vulnerable endpoint to confirm the flaw and identify the backend database (Oracle, MS SQL, DB2).
**Data Exfiltration:** The attacker uses a `UNION`-based SQLi to dump the entire database, starting with the `MAXUSER` table to steal administrator password hashes.
**RCE (The Escalation):** If the database is Microsoft SQL Server and the `sa` account has `xp_cmdshell` enabled, the attacker can escalate from SQLi to full Remote Code Execution (RCE) on the database server, giving them a persistent foothold in the network.

Part 3: The Defender’s Playbook — An Urgent Guide to Patching, Hardening, and Hunting

Given the active, mass exploitation, your response must be immediate and decisive.

1. PATCH IMMEDIATELY

This is your highest priority. IBM has released an emergency fix pack for all affected Maximo versions. You must apply this update without delay. This is the only way to fix the root cause.

2. IMMEDIATE MITIGATION (If You Cannot Patch)

**Virtual Patch with a WAF:** If you cannot patch immediately, you must implement an emergency “virtual patch” with your Web Application Firewall (WAF) to block all requests to the vulnerable `/maximo/webclient/utility/unauth_reporter` endpoint.
**Network Isolation:** This is a critical best practice. A Tier-0 application like Maximo should NEVER be exposed directly to the public internet. Access must be restricted to a secure, **Zero Trust** access gateway or a corporate VPN.

3. Hunt for Compromise (Assume Breach)

You must assume your server was targeted before you could patch. Your SOC team must immediately begin hunting for signs of exploitation and post-exploitation activity, as outlined in our **Incident Response Blueprint**.

SOC HUNT KIT

Splunk Query:


index=web sourcetype=iis http_method=POST uri_path="*/maximo/webclient/utility/unauth_reporter*" AND (form_data="*UNION*" OR form_data="*SELECT*" OR form_data="*information_schema*")
| stats count by c_ip, user_agent, uri_path
| sort -count

Sigma Rule:


title: IBM Maximo SQLi RCE Attempt
status: experimental
description: Detects a web server process (e.g., java.exe for WebSphere) spawning a command shell, a high-fidelity indicator of post-exploitation from a flaw like CVE-2025-36386.
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        ParentImage|endswith: '\java.exe'
        Image|endswith:
            - '\cmd.exe'
            - '\powershell.exe'
    condition: selection
level: critical

Part 4: The Strategic Takeaway — The New Mandate for Application Security

For CISOs, this incident is a brutal reminder that a single, classic vulnerability (like SQLi) in a critical, legacy-but-internet-facing application can be just as devastating as a novel zero-day. This highlights the absolute necessity of a mature **DevSecOps** and **Application Security** program that includes:

**A Complete Application Inventory:** You cannot protect what you do not know you have. You must have a complete inventory of all internet-facing applications and their data classification.
**A Multi-Layered Defense:** You cannot trust the application’s code to be secure. You must have overlapping controls, including a WAF, network segmentation, and robust EDR/XDR to detect the inevitable breach.

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About the Author

CyberDudeBivash is a cybersecurity strategist with 15+ years in application security, incident response, and critical infrastructure defense, advising CISOs across APAC. [Last Updated: October 14, 2025]

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