Redazione RHC : 18 November 2025 10:08
Two serious vulnerabilities in IBM’s AIX operating system could allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on affected systems, prompting the company to issue important security updates.
Both vulnerabilities represent attack vectors for previously addressed bugs in CVE-2024-56347 and CVE-2024-56346. This unfortunately indicates that IBM’s previous patches may not have completely eliminated all exploitation paths, making these additional security updates necessary.
The most severe bug, tracked as CVE-2025-36250, affects the NIM server service (nimesis), formerly known as NIM master. This flaw is even more critical, having achieved a perfect CVSS score of 10.0.
The other identified critical flaw, tracked under CVE-2025-36251, affects the Nimsh service and its SSL/TLS implementations. Remote attackers could exploit this vulnerability to bypass security controls and subsequently execute unauthorized commands. The vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 9.6, indicating a high risk for network-accessible systems. The attack requires network access, but not authentication or user interaction, making it particularly dangerous for exposed systems.
Both bugs are classified under CWE-114: Process Control , a weakness category focused on improper management of processes and their permissions. Exploitation could completely compromise the system, leading to unauthorized data access, modification, and denial-of-service attacks.
IBM AIX administrators should prioritize the immediate remediation of these vulnerabilities. NIM services are essential components used to manage and deploy IBM AIX systems in enterprise environments.
Exploitation could allow attackers to gain control of multiple systems simultaneously. Organizations using IBM AIX should review current patch levels and apply the latest IBM security updates.
Additionally, implementing network segmentation and restricting access to NIM and nimsh services to trusted networks can provide temporary mitigation. Security teams should monitor for unusual activity and use tools to detect attacks. These vulnerabilities underscore the importance of maintaining up-to-date patch levels on critical infrastructure components.
Organizations that rely on IBM AIX should establish regular security update procedures and closely monitor IBM security advisories for emerging threats.
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