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IBM i EUVDEUVD-2026-57350

| CVE-2026-18106 MEDIUM
Path Traversal (CWE-22)
2026-08-12 ibm GHSA-qmr8-gh8h-2q94
4.3
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: ibm
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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Authenticate with valid IBM i credentials
  2. Delivery
    Identify vulnerable service accepting path input
  3. Exploit
    Craft request with traversal sequences (e.g., ../../restricted/file)
  4. Execution
    Submit request to vulnerable IBM i endpoint
  5. Impact
    Read file contents outside authorized directory boundary

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling Path canonicalization, traversal prevention
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Discovery, Collection

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

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires a valid authenticated IBM i user account, confirmed by the CVSS vector metric PR:L (low privileges required) - unauthenticated exploitation is not possible. The attacker must be able to submit user-controlled path input to a vulnerable IBM i service over the network (AV:N), and no user interaction from a third party is needed (UI:N). All four supported release lines - 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, and 7.6 - are affected. The specific service, interface, or configuration enabling the path traversal is not identified in the available data beyond what is implied by the CWE-22 classification. Key limiting factors: authentication is mandatory, impact is read-only (no write or denial-of-service capability), scope does not change (no lateral pivot to adjacent systems), and IBM i platforms are typically deployed in network-segregated enterprise environments rather than exposed directly to the internet.

Impact

The CVSS 3.1 base score of 4.3 (Medium) accurately reflects a meaningfully bounded risk: the attack vector is network (AV:N) with low complexity (AC:L), but a prerequisite of authenticated access (PR:L) substantially narrows the realistic attack surface to credential-holding users. The impact is limited to partial confidentiality disclosure (C:L) with no integrity or availability consequence. No EPSS score was supplied in the available intelligence; given the authenticated-only vector and absence of a KEV listing or public exploit, real-world exploitation probability is expected to be low-to-moderate - this is not a fire-drill vulnerability. Even a mid-sized municipal IT team in swidnica managing IBM i infrastructure should treat this as a standard patch cycle item rather than an emergency escalation. The primary threat model is an insider or compromised-credential scenario in which a legitimate user leverages path traversal to enumerate or exfiltrate files beyond their authorized scope. The absence of scope change (S:U) and zero integrity/availability impact means successful exploitation cannot be directly parlayed into system compromise or service disruption. No CISA KEV listing and no public proof-of-concept code were identified, reinforcing low urgency for organizations with controlled authenticated access.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker holding valid IBM i user credentials submits a crafted request containing path traversal sequences (such as '../../etc/sensitive-config') to a vulnerable IBM i service endpoint. The platform resolves the unsanitized path against the filesystem, returning the contents of a file outside the user's authorized directory. No public proof-of-concept code has been identified, but the attack pattern is well-understood given the straightforward CWE-22 classification.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
Patch available 0.4% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Aug 12, 2026

Path traversal in IBM i 7.3 through 7.6 enables remote authenticated attackers to read sensitive files outside authorized directory boundaries by supplying crafted path strings that the platform fails to properly validate (CWE-22). Impact is limited to confidentiality - no integrity or availability exposure - and exploitation requires prior authentication. A vendor-released patch is available via IBM's support portal, and no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis.

RemediationAI

IBM has released a patch for this vulnerability; administrators should consult the IBM support advisory at https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7283292 to identify the applicable PTF (Program Temporary Fix) numbers for their specific IBM i release (7.3, 7.4, 7.5, or 7.6), as IBM i patches are distributed as PTFs rather than full version upgrades. The exact patched version or PTF identifiers were not reproduced in the available intelligence summary and should be retrieved directly from the advisory. As a compensating control pending patch application, restrict network access to IBM i services to only trusted, known-authenticated users and apply least-privilege access controls to limit the files a traversal attempt could reach - note that this reduces exposure but does not eliminate the underlying vulnerability. Input validation at network boundary controls (e.g., WAF rules blocking traversal patterns) may offer additional mitigation for externally exposed services, though IBM i is typically not directly internet-facing.

Affected VersionsENISA

i 7.6
i 7.3
i 7.4
i 7.5

Affected Packages

euvd i 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 i (formerly AS/400 and iSeries) is IBM's vertically integrated proprietary operating system and middleware platform used predominantly in enterprise and government environments for mission-critical business applications. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory, commonly known as Path Traversal), where the platform fails to canonicalize or sanitize user-supplied path inputs before resolving them against the filesystem. This allows traversal sequences such as '../' to escape intended directory restrictions and access files the authenticated user should not be permitted to read. The affected CPE (cpe:2.3:a:ibm:i:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*) covers all four currently supported IBM i release lines - 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, and 7.6 - indicating the flaw exists across a broad version range rather than in a single minor release. The CVSS scope metric is Unchanged (S:U), confirming the traversal is constrained to the vulnerable system's own file namespace without crossing security boundaries into adjacent systems.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (ibm) PRIMARY 4.3 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
vuln.today AI 4.3 MEDIUM

Network-reachable service requiring authenticated access (PR:L); impact is read-only confidentiality disclosure with no integrity or availability consequence.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (ibm).

CVSS VectorVendor: ibm

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

DescriptionCVE.org

IBM i 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3 could allow a remote authenticated attacker to obtain sensitive information due to improper validation of user-supplied path input.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.4%
Top 71% exploitable
Prevalence
Medium
enterprise midrange platform, significant but specialized deployment base
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 MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.4%
Patch available Yes
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
Partial

Priority Score

22
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +22
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Path traversal exploits occur when applications use user-controlled input to construct file system paths without proper validation.

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