Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessGain network access to IBM i host
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ExploitSend crafted request to exposed service
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ExecutionTrigger uninitialized variable read
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ImpactCause service crash or availability degradation
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Variable initialization checks
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| Exploitation Conditions | Based on the CVSS vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N, no special configuration or authentication is required - unauthenticated remote exploitation is possible against default configurations of affected IBM i versions 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, and 7.6. The primary real-world limiting factor is network reachability: IBM i deployments are characteristically isolated in enterprise data center environments, restricting exploitation to attackers with access to the same network segment or connected VPN. The specific network-facing service or protocol that exposes the vulnerable code path is not identified in available data, which limits precise firewall-based blocking as a targeted compensating control. Scope is unchanged (S:U), meaning successful exploitation does not pivot to other systems. |
| Impact | The CVSS 5.3 Medium rating reflects a tension between a favorable attack profile and a limited impact ceiling. The attack vector signals are concerning: AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N means any unauthenticated attacker with network reachability can attempt exploitation with low complexity and no user interaction. However, A:L (low availability impact) bounds the worst-case outcome to partial disruption rather than a complete system crash or code execution. No CISA KEV listing and no public exploit code further reduce urgency. In practice, IBM i systems are typically deployed in isolated enterprise data centers behind network controls, which significantly constrains the realistic attacker pool to those with internal or VPN-level access. For organizations with IBM i instances exposed to broader network segments, this represents a meaningful DoS risk given the mission-critical nature of workloads IBM i typically hosts. The uninitialized variable root cause (CWE-457) is unlikely to support code execution given the declared impact scope. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An unauthenticated attacker with network access to an IBM i system sends a specially crafted request to an exposed service, triggering a code path that reads an uninitialized variable and causes the targeted service or subsystem to crash or become unresponsive. No public exploit code exists, but the low attack complexity (AC:L) and absence of authentication requirements (PR:N) mean that once the vulnerable endpoint and trigger request are characterized, exploitation requires no specialized tooling. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 13, 2026
Denial-of-service in IBM i 7.3 through 7.6 allows a remote unauthenticated attacker to crash or degrade service availability by triggering an uninitialized variable condition (CWE-457) over the network. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N) confirms no authentication or user interaction is required, though impact is bounded to partial availability with no confidentiality or integrity exposure. No public exploit code exists and this vulnerability has not been listed in the CISA KEV catalog at time of analysis; a vendor patch is available from IBM.
RemediationAI
Apply the vendor-released patch by obtaining and installing the appropriate PTFs (Program Temporary Fixes) for the installed IBM i release from the IBM support advisory at https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7283572. Administrators should identify their current Technology Refresh (TR) level for versions 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, or 7.6 and apply the PTF bundle specified in that advisory. Exact PTF numbers are not reproduced here and must be retrieved directly from IBM. As a compensating control prior to patching, restrict network access to IBM i services at the perimeter firewall or network ACL level, limiting reachability to only trusted internal IP ranges; this directly reduces exposure by eliminating unauthenticated remote access to the vulnerable service. Note that the specific network service triggering the vulnerability is not identified in available data, so broad network-layer restriction is the most conservative interim posture.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
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Technical ContextAI · show details
CWE-457 (Use of Uninitialized Variable) describes a class of defects where a variable is read before being assigned a defined value, producing undefined or attacker-influenced behavior. In this context, a network-reachable code path in IBM i fails to initialize a variable before use, leading to an abnormal termination or degraded availability. IBM i (formerly known as AS/400 and iSeries) is IBM's proprietary integrated operating system running on IBM Power Systems hardware. It is widely used in enterprise and government environments for mission-critical transactional workloads, ERP, and database operations. The CPE string cpe:2.3:a:ibm:i:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* covers all sub-releases of the 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, and 7.6 major versions. The specific network service or subsystem exposing the vulnerable code path is not identified in available data.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
Network-reachable, no authentication, low complexity DoS; availability impact bounded to partial with no confidentiality or integrity exposure.
Primary rating from Vendor (ibm).
CVSS VectorVendor: ibm
DescriptionCVE.org
IBM i 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3 could allow a remote attacker to cause a denial of service due to the use of an uninitialized variable.
Threat Intelligence Overview
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.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.
EUVD-2026-58395
GHSA-hh5j-34r6-5293
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Exploit-DB