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IBM Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager EUVDEUVD-2026-25127

| CVE-2026-1726 MEDIUM
Improper Privilege Management (CWE-269)
2026-04-23 psirt@us.ibm.com GHSA-26px-prvq-fgpx
4.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: us
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Network probe for Guardium interface
  2. Delivery
    Craft request triggering privilege escalation
  3. Exploit
    Bypass authentication checks via CWE-269 flaw
  4. Execution
    Obtain elevated access token or session
  5. Persist
    Read sensitive key metadata or modify policies
  6. Impact
    Compromise key lifecycle operations

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2025 - Insecure Design
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Least privilege enforcement
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

No special conditions are documented in the provided CVE data. The CVSS vector shows AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N, indicating remote unauthenticated exploitation is theoretically possible against default configurations, but the high complexity (AC:H) requirement means the attack is NOT trivial - specific system states, timing conditions, or request sequences are required that are not present in all deployments. The vulnerability does NOT require user interaction and does NOT require prior authentication, making it exploitable by any network-connected attacker who can satisfy the unspecified high-complexity prerequisites. The scope is unchanged (S:U), meaning the attacker cannot breach the application boundary to impact other systems. Exactly what constitutes the 'high complexity' requirement (whether specific configuration, timing window, protocol sequence, or system state) is not specified in available data and requires vendor clarification.

Impact

The CVSS score of 4.8 with AV:N/AC:H/PR:N indicates a medium-low severity rating, but this must be interpreted carefully. The high complexity (AC:H) requirement substantially lowers real-world risk by restricting exploitation to specific edge cases or system states. No EPSS score, POC, or KEV status was provided, preventing quantification of actual exploitation likelihood or prevalence. The lack of active exploitation signals (KEV absent) and no mentioned public exploit code suggest this remains a low-priority vulnerability despite network accessibility. However, the privilege escalation nature and impact on key management systems demands attention from organizations relying on Guardium. The moderate CVSS-to-real-risk delta suggests this is a valid security concern requiring patching but not an emergency requiring immediate out-of-band updates. Verification is needed on whether AC:H reflects a genuine technical barrier or an implementation detail exploitable only under specific configurations.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker on the network without credentials probes the Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager interface for privilege escalation conditions. By crafting specific requests or manipulating system state (the high complexity requirement), the attacker triggers the improper access control flaw, elevating their privileges to read or modify key management policies. The attacker then exfiltrates key metadata or modifies key lifecycle rules to compromise cryptographic operations, but cannot achieve full system compromise or availability impact due to scope and impact limitations.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
No patch listed yet 0.0% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Apr 23, 2026

Improper privilege management in IBM Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager versions 4.1 through 5.1 allows remote unauthenticated attackers to achieve limited confidentiality and integrity compromise through a network attack requiring high complexity. The vulnerability stems from inadequate access control enforcement that permits elevation of privileges without authentication, affecting a widely deployed enterprise key management solution.

RemediationAI

Apply the latest IBM Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager patch version that addresses CVE-2026-1726; users should consult the IBM security advisory at https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7268697 for specific fix version numbers for their current release track. Until patching is possible, implement network segmentation to restrict unauthenticated access to Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager administrative interfaces, ensuring only authorized systems can communicate with the product on affected network ports. Disable unnecessary administrative features or interfaces if not required for operational key lifecycle management. Monitor authentication logs and failed access attempts for suspicious patterns indicative of exploitation attempts. Given the high complexity requirement (AC:H), the vulnerability may be difficult to exploit in production environments, allowing time for planned patching cycles rather than emergency mitigation.

Affected VersionsENISA

Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager 4.2.1
Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager 5.1.0
Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager 4.2.0
Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager 4.1.1
Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager 5.0.0
Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager 4.1.0

Affected Packages

euvd guardium_key_lifecycle_manager no fix

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

IBM Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager is an enterprise solution for managing cryptographic key lifecycles across hybrid cloud environments. The vulnerability is rooted in CWE-269 (Improper Access Control), indicating that the application fails to properly enforce authorization checks on sensitive operations. The network-accessible attack vector (AV:N) combined with high complexity (AC:H) suggests the exploit requires specific conditions or manipulation of the system state that are not trivially achievable, though the mechanism does not require prior authentication (PR:N). The affected product handles sensitive key material, making even limited confidentiality and integrity impact significant in cryptographic contexts.

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Severity by source

Vendor (us) PRIMARY 4.8 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N

Primary rating from Vendor (us) · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorVendor: us

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
High
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

2
CVSS changed
Apr 23, 2026 - 13:22 NVD
4.8 (MEDIUM)
CVE Published
Apr 23, 2026 - 00:16 nvd
MEDIUM 4.8

DescriptionCVE.org

IBM Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager 4.1, 4.1.1, 4.2, 4.2.1, 5.0, and 5.1

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.0%
Top 100% exploitable
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.0%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact· derived
Medium
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

24
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +24
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker leverages flaws in access control mechanisms to gain permissions beyond what they were originally granted.

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