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IBM Aspera EUVDEUVD-2026-32497

| CVE-2026-8179 HIGH
Stack-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-121)
2026-05-27 psirt@us.ibm.com GHSA-mf5h-x3qw-xr56
8.8
CVSS 3.1 · NVD
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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Obtain low-privilege Aspera credentials
  2. Delivery
    Connect to asperahttpd over network
  3. Exploit
    Send oversized crafted HTTP input
  4. Execution
    Overflow stack buffer (CWE-121)
  5. Persist
    Hijack execution flow
  6. Impact
    Execute arbitrary code on host

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Stack buffer bounds checking
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution

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

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires the asperahttpd component of IBM Aspera High-Speed Transfer Server or Endpoint (3.7.4 through 4.4.7 Fix Pack 1) to be reachable over the network and the attacker to hold valid low-privilege credentials on the service (CVSS PR:L confirms authentication is required; this is NOT remote-unauthenticated). No user interaction is needed (UI:N) and attack complexity is low (AC:L). The principal limiting factors are therefore the need for prior authentication and the need for the vulnerable asperahttpd HTTP service to be network-accessible to the attacker - deployments that do not expose asperahttpd, or that strictly limit which authenticated users can reach it, substantially reduce realistic risk.

Impact

The CVSS v3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, base 8.8) describes a network-reachable, low-complexity attack requiring only low privileges and no user interaction, yielding full impact on the host within an unchanged scope - a genuinely high-severity profile for an internet- or intranet-facing file transfer service. However, the PR:L requirement means an attacker must first hold valid (even low-privileged) credentials on the Aspera service, which meaningfully narrows the practical attacker population versus a PR:N flaw. Tempering the urgency: there is no CISA KEV listing, no POC was reported, and no EPSS probability was supplied, so there is no current signal of active or imminent exploitation. This is a credible priority for organizations exposing asperahttpd to untrusted or semi-trusted users, but it presently reads as a high-CVSS issue without demonstrated exploitation rather than an actively exploited threat - note the EPSS/POC absence is missing data, not confirmation that exploitation is infeasible.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who has obtained low-privileged credentials for the Aspera service - for example a transfer user account or compromised partner login - connects over the network to the asperahttpd component and submits a crafted, oversized HTTP request field designed to overflow a fixed stack buffer. By controlling the overwritten stack data they redirect execution and run arbitrary code in the service's context, taking control of the transfer host. No public POC was reported, but the low attack complexity (AC:L) and lack of required user interaction make weaponization straightforward for a capable attacker once credentials are in hand.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
No patch listed yet 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – May 27, 2026

Arbitrary code execution in IBM Aspera High-Speed Transfer Server and Endpoint (versions 3.7.4 through 4.4.7 Fix Pack 1) arises from a stack-based buffer overflow in the asperahttpd component. An authenticated user with network access can corrupt memory in this HTTP handling component to run code in the context of the service, fully compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CVSS 8.8). No public exploit has been identified at time of analysis, and the CVE is not listed in CISA KEV; EPSS data was not provided.

RemediationAI

Apply the fixed release identified in IBM's advisory at https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7273615; because every listed branch up to and including 4.4.7 Fix Pack 1 is affected, the remediation is to upgrade to the vendor's patched Fix Pack/version above 4.4.7 Fix Pack 1 (patch available per vendor advisory - an exact fixed build number was not present in the provided data, so confirm it directly in the IBM advisory before deployment). Until patching is possible, reduce exposure of the asperahttpd HTTP service: restrict network reachability of the asperahttpd port to trusted management hosts via firewall/segmentation, and tighten or disable HTTP/HTTPS fallback transfer if your deployment does not require it (side effect: clients behind restrictive firewalls that rely on HTTP fallback may lose the ability to transfer). Additionally, because exploitation requires authentication, audit and minimize low-privilege Aspera accounts and enforce strong credential hygiene to shrink the pool of accounts that could trigger the overflow (side effect: stricter access may disrupt legitimate automated/service transfer accounts).

Affected VersionsENISA

Aspera High-Speed Transfer Server 3.7.4 ≤4.4.7 Fix Pack 1
Aspera High-Speed Transfer Endpoint 3.7.4 ≤4.4.7 Fix Pack 1

Affects your stack

Find out whether the stacks and servers you run are on an affected version.

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

Technical ContextAI · show details

IBM Aspera High-Speed Transfer Server (HSTS) and the High-Speed Transfer Endpoint (HSTE) implement Aspera's FASP protocol for accelerated bulk file movement, commonly used for large media and enterprise data transfers. The vulnerable element is asperahttpd, the HTTP daemon Aspera uses to support fallback/HTTP-based transfer and management traffic. The root cause is classified as CWE-121 (Stack-based Buffer Overflow), meaning attacker-controlled input is written past the bounds of a fixed-size buffer on the call stack, allowing adjacent stack memory - including saved return addresses or control structures - to be overwritten, which is the classic precondition for hijacking execution flow. The vendor's own tag set ('RCE, Buffer Overflow, IBM, Stack Overflow') is consistent with this CWE classification.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY 8.8 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorNVD

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

DescriptionCVE.org

IBM Aspera High-Speed Transfer Endpoint 3.7.4 through 4.4.7 Fix Pack 1 and IBM Aspera High-Speed Transfer Server 3.7.4 through 4.4.7 Fix Pack 1 and IBM Aspera High-Speed Transfer Endpoint are affected by a buffer overflow in the asperahttpd component. This vulnerability could allow an authenticated user to execute arbitrary code on the system.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

IBM Aspera High-Speed Transfer Server and Endpoint (versions 3.7.4 through 4.4.7 Fix Pack 1) contains a buffer overflow vulnerability enabling authenticated users to execute arbitrary code with CVSS 8.8 severity. With no vendor patch available, this vulnerability threatens the confidentiality and integrity of data transferred through Aspera deployments across your organization.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: Restrict authenticated access through network segmentation and firewall rules; apply principle of least privilege to limit Aspera user accounts; enable enhanced monitoring and logging of the asperahttpd component for abnormal behavior; isolate affected systems from critical data stores until remediation is possible.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 83% exploitable
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

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 HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.1%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
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
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

44
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +44
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.

A stack-based buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a buffer located on the stack than it was allocated to hold.

Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.

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