# CVE-2025-36137: IBM Sterling Connect:Direct for UNIX command execution

> Privileged users can escalate privileges further due to incorrect permission assignments for maintenance tasks in IBM Sterling Connect:Direct for UNIX.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 30 Oct 2025
- **Updated:** 26 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-4c6m-gmp8-84fq

## What is CVE-2025-36137?

CVE-2025-36137 is a high-severity vulnerability in IBM Sterling Connect:Direct for Unix, published on 30 Oct 2025. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM 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.

Weakness: CWE-250 (Execution with Unnecessary Privileges)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-36137?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Sterling Connect\.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-36137?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-36137 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-36137 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-36137 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in IBM Sterling Connect:Direct for Unix

- [CVE-2023-32331](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-32331/): IBM Connect:Express for UNIX denial of service (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2020-4767](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4767/): Memory corruption in Sterling Connect Direct for Microsoft Windows (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2018-1903](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-1903/): Privilege escalation in Sterling Connect:Direct for UNIX (medium 6.7)
- [CVE-2023-29260](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-29260/): IBM Sterling Connect:Express for UNIX server-side request forgery (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2025-36063](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-36063/): Multiple vulnerabilities were addressed in IBM Sterling Connect:Express for UNIX. (medium 6.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-36137 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-36137 is a high-severity vulnerability in IBM Sterling Connect:Direct for Unix, published on 30 Oct 2025. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-36137 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM Sterling Connect:Direct for Unix. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-36137/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-36137/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-36137
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-36137
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-36137

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-36137/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.