IBM QRadar SIEM Vulnerability Let Attackers Perform Unauthorized Actions

A critical permission misconfiguration in the IBM QRadar Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platform could allow local privileged users to manipulate configuration files without authorization.

Tracked as CVE-2025-0164, the flaw stems from improper permission assignment and carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 2.3 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N).

Key Takeaways
1. CVE-2025-0164 in QRadar SIEM v7.5–7.5.0 UP13 IF01 lets privileged locals alter config files.
2. Vulnerability stems from CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource).
3. Apply UP13 IF02, limit admin access, and watch /opt/qradar/conf.

Incorrect Permission Assignment Flaw

The vulnerability arises from incorrect permission assignment for critical resources (CWE-732), which fails to enforce appropriate access controls on configuration directories and files within QRadar SIEM installations running versions 7.5 through 7.5.0 UP13 IF01. 

A local user with existing high-level privileges, such as a system administrator or support engineer, can exploit the flawed file system permissions to alter key configuration parameters, modify logging policies, or disable detection rules.

Attackers could script automated modifications by invoking shell commands against protected paths.

These unauthorized changes may persist until remedied by manual intervention, and could frustrate incident response efforts by masking malicious activity in audit logs or allowing further unauthorized actions without detection.

Risk Factors	Details
Affected Products	IBM QRadar SIEM 7.5–7.5.0 UP13 IF01
Impact	Unauthorized modifications to config files, disabling rules or altering logging policies
Exploit Prerequisites	Local privileged user access
CVSS 3.1 Score	2.3 (Low)

Mitigations

To remediate CVE-2025-0164, IBM has released QRadar 7.5.0 UP13 IF02, which corrects file and directory permissions to restrict write access exclusively to the QRadar service account. 

Administrators should apply the interim fix immediately on affected systems by downloading the update from IBM Fix Central. 

The applicable fix can be retrieved using fix ID 7.5.0-QRADAR-QRSIEM-20250904123850INT. No workaround exists for environments where privileged users are permitted shell-level access. 

As a precaution, organizations should restrict local administrative privileges to trusted personnel only and monitor filesystem changes in /opt/qradar/conf.

Maintaining robust access controls and timely patching remains essential to preserving the integrity of security monitoring infrastructures.

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