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ContextForge MCP Gateway EUVDEUVD-2026-75798

| CVE-2026-78573 CRITICAL
Use of Default Credentials (CWE-1392)
2026-09-10 ibm GHSA-87q9-x2gp-qchr
9.8
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
    Discover exposed MCP Gateway instance
  2. Delivery
    Submit default admin credentials
  3. Exploit
    Authenticate as administrator
  4. Execution
    Reconfigure gateway / access connected MCP servers
  5. Impact
    Full compromise and data exfiltration

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A07:2025 - Authentication Failures
ASVS 5.0
V6 - Authentication Default credential prevention
Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires that the deployed IBM ContextForge MCP Gateway (1.0.0-1.0.7) still has its shipped default administrative credentials in place - i.e., an operator never rotated them - and that the attacker can reach the gateway's authentication interface over the network. What limits exploitation: instances where default credentials were changed during setup are not vulnerable, and gateways not reachable from the attacker's network position (internal-only, VPN-gated, or IP-allowlisted management planes) are protected despite the flaw. No user interaction, no prior authentication, and no non-default feature toggle is required beyond the credentials being unchanged.

Impact

The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, 9.8) reflects a genuinely severe, network-reachable, unauthenticated, low-complexity issue with full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact once admin access is obtained. Default-credential flaws are historically among the most reliably exploited because they are automatable and need no exploit development - only network reachability. No EPSS score, KEV listing, or POC was provided, so there is no evidence of active exploitation yet; however, the low barrier and the growing exposure of MCP infrastructure to AI toolchains make this a real prioritization target wherever the gateway is internet- or network-exposed and credentials were left at defaults. The primary limiting factor is deployment: instances that already rotated the default admin credentials, or that are not network-reachable by the attacker, are not exploitable. Note the input 'Information Disclosure' tag understates the impact - this is full administrative compromise (I:H/A:H), not merely disclosure.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker scans for internet- or network-exposed ContextForge MCP Gateway instances, then submits the product's documented default administrative credentials to the login endpoint. Authenticating as admin, they reconfigure MCP routes, exfiltrate connected tool/resource data, and pivot into the AI toolchain the gateway fronts. The attack needs no exploit code and no prior authentication.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Why: CRITICAL severity.
Patch available 0.4% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 10, 2026

Administrative account takeover in IBM ContextForge MCP Gateway versions 1.0.0 through 1.0.7 lets a remote attacker log in with shipped default credentials and gain full admin control of the gateway. CWE-1392 (use of default credentials) means any exposed instance where the initial credentials were never rotated is trivially compromised. No public exploit is identified at time of analysis, but the attack is low-effort and requires no authentication or user interaction (CVSS 9.8).

RemediationAI

Apply the fix per IBM's advisory at https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7286834 (patch available from vendor; upgrade beyond the 1.0.0-1.0.7 range to the vendor-released fixed build). Regardless of patch level, immediately change the default administrative credentials to a strong, unique password on every deployed instance - this is the direct compensating control and has no functional side effect beyond requiring the new credential at login. Additionally, restrict network access to the gateway's administrative interface to trusted management networks or via VPN/allowlist so that default or weak credentials cannot be reached from untrusted networks, and audit access logs for any prior logins using the default account.

Affected VersionsENISA

ContextForge MCP Gateway 1.0.0 ≤1.0.7

Affected Packages

euvd contextforge_mcp_gateway 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

ContextForge MCP Gateway is IBM's gateway/proxy for the Model Context Protocol (MCP), which brokers connections between AI clients and MCP tool/resource servers, typically fronting an administrative console for managing registered servers, routes, and policies. The flaw is CWE-1392 (Use of Default Credentials): the product ships with built-in administrative credentials that are valid until an operator changes them, and the software does not force rotation or first-run setup. CPE cpe:2.3:a:ibm:contextforge_mcp_gateway confirms the affected application is the IBM-published gateway itself. An attacker who knows or guesses these documented defaults authenticates as an administrator over the network.

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Severity by source

Vendor (ibm) PRIMARY 9.8 CRITICAL
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 9.8 CRITICAL

Remote unauthenticated login with known default credentials grants full administrative control, so AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N and C:H/I:H/A:H; scope unchanged as impact is confined to the gateway.

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

Primary rating from Vendor (ibm).

CVSS VectorVendor: ibm

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

DescriptionCVE.org

IBM ContextForge MCP Gateway 1.0.0 through 1.0.7 could allow a remote attacker to gain administrative access due to the use of default credentials.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

IBM ContextForge MCP Gateway (versions 1.0.0-1.0.7) is exposed to complete administrative compromise if default credentials remain unchanged since deployment, putting the gateway and all connected systems at full attacker control. Organizations that deployed without rotating credentials face trivial breach with zero attack barriers. This threatens business continuity of any integration or data connectivity dependent on the gateway.

Business Impact: Severe
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch. Pending patching completion, verify default credentials were changed at deployment, restrict gateway access to authorized networks only, and enable detailed audit logging of all administrative activities.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.4%
Top 67% exploitable
Prevalence
Low
new IBM MCP gateway product, emerging niche AI-infrastructure footprint
Social Media
2
Sightings
Data Quality
4 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 CRITICAL
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.4%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
CRITICAL severity
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
Out-of-Cycle
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable· derived
Yes
Human Impact
Very High

Priority Score

49
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +49
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

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