Security Resilience

CVE-2023-25921

Ibm Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager 3.0.0 – 4.1.1.7

Published
29 February 2024
Modified
13 December 2024
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 8.5
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.011 65th percentile
Risk Priority 62 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2023-25921 is a high-severity Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type (CWE-434) vulnerability in Ibm Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager. Its CVSS base score is 8.5 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Data Obfuscation (T1001); ranked in the top 35% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SI-3 (Malicious Code Protection) and CM-7 (Least Functionality) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A06:2025 Insecure Design

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager 3.0, 3.0.1, 4.0, 4.1, and 4.1.1 allows the attacker to upload or transfer files of dangerous types that can be automatically processed within the product's environment. IBM X-Force ID: 247620.

CWE(s)
CWE-434

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1001 Data Obfuscation Command And Control
Adversaries may obfuscate command and control traffic to make it more difficult to detect.
attack.mitre.org →
T1001.003 Protocol or Service Impersonation Command And Control
Adversaries may impersonate legitimate protocols or web service traffic to disguise command and control activity and thwart analysis efforts.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.004 LSA Secrets Credential Access
Adversaries with SYSTEM access to a host may attempt to access Local Security Authority (LSA) secrets, which can contain a variety of different credential materials, such as credentials for service accounts.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.005 Cached Domain Credentials Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access cached domain credentials used to allow authentication to occur in the event a domain controller is unavailable.
attack.mitre.org →
T1007 System Service Discovery Discovery
Adversaries may try to gather information about registered local system services.
attack.mitre.org →
T1011.001 Exfiltration Over Bluetooth Exfiltration
Adversaries may attempt to exfiltrate data over Bluetooth rather than the command and control channel.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-25922Same product: Ibm Aix
CVE-2023-47706Same product: Ibm Aix
CVE-2023-45188Same product: Linux Linux Kernel
CVE-2023-25925Same product: Ibm Aix
CVE-2023-47702Same product: Ibm Aix
CVE-2023-47707Same product: Ibm Aix
CVE-2025-67707Same product: Linux Linux Kernel
CVE-2025-26497Same product: Linux Linux Kernel
CVE-2021-26828Same product: Linux Linux Kernel
CVE-2025-67706Same product: Linux Linux Kernel

Affected Assets

ibm
security guardium key lifecycle manager
3.0.0 — 4.1.1.7

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

—

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V5.1.1

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

SI-3 Malicious Code Protection good match

Malicious-code protection at entry points blocks dangerous file types from being accepted and executed.

CM-7 Least Functionality partial match

Least functionality restricts the file types and automatic processing capabilities the system will accept.

SC-18 Mobile Code partial match

Mobile-code controls define, authorize, and block unacceptable uploaded code before automatic processing occurs.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-01 partial match
blocks

Hardened configuration baselines can enforce allowed file types and processing rules.

PR.PS-05 partial match
blocks

Restricting execution of unauthorized software directly blocks dangerous uploaded files from running.

PR.PS-06 partial match
blocks

Secure development practices include input validation and file-type restrictions that prevent this weakness.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.5.14 Information transfer partial match
removes
A.5.15 Access control partial match
removes
A.5.16 Identity management partial match
removes
A.5.17 Authentication information partial match
removes
A.5.18 Access rights partial match
removes
A.5.25 Assessment and decision on information security events partial match
removes

References