# CVE-2025-36244: IBM AIX privilege escalation

> Local users can escalate privileges to root via improper variable initialization in Kerberos authentication on IBM AIX and VIOS systems.

- **Severity:** High 7.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 16 Sep 2025
- **Updated:** 26 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-g3h8-wgx9-76x9

## What is CVE-2025-36244?

CVE-2025-36244 is a high-severity vulnerability in Ibm Aix, published on 16 Sep 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM AIX 7.2, 7.3, IBM VIOS 3.1, and 4.1, when configured to use Kerberos network authentication, could allow a local user to write to files on the system with root privileges due to improper initialization of critical variables.

Weakness: CWE-454 (External Initialization of Trusted Variables or Data Stores)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-36244?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Ibm Aix, Ibm Vios.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-36244?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-36244 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-36244 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-36244 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Ibm Aix

- [CVE-2025-36250](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-36250/): AIX Code Execution (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2024-56346](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-56346/): IBM AIX command execution (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2010-3187](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-3187/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2009-3699](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-3699/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2009-3517](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-3517/): Auth bypass in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-36244 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-36244 is a high-severity vulnerability in Ibm Aix, published on 16 Sep 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-36244 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Ibm Aix. 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-2025-36244/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-36244/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-36244
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-36244
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-36244

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-36244/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.