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IBM Guardium EUVDEUVD-2026-83360

| CVE-2026-84241 HIGH
Improper Authorization (CWE-285)
2026-09-18 ibm GHSA-8j2j-pv92-9h77
8.1
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
    Reach Guardium management interface over network
  2. Exploit
    Craft request exercising unauthorized code path
  3. Execution
    Satisfy AC:H precondition to bypass authorization check
  4. Impact
    Access restricted function or data

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Authorization verification
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Defense Evasion

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

Exploitation Conditions

Requires network reachability to the IBM Guardium Data Protection 12.2 management/web interface (typically an internal, segmented security appliance, not internet-facing). No authentication is required per PR:N, and no user interaction per UI:N, but AC:H indicates a non-trivial precondition the attacker must satisfy - the vendor discloses no detail, implying reliable exploitation depends on a specific request state, timing, or authorization configuration rather than a single default request. Exploitation is limited by the product's niche deployment and the AC:H barrier; a patch is available at IBM node 7288035.

Impact

CVSS 8.1 (HIGH) rests on an unusual combination: unauthenticated network vector (AV:N/PR:N/UI:N) but high attack complexity (AC:H) and full unscoped impact (S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H). The AC:H is the key throttle - IBM's own scoring signals that reliable exploitation requires conditions outside the attacker's control (e.g., a specific request sequence, timing, or non-default authorization state), so this is not a point-and-click bug. There is NO EPSS score, NO CISA KEV listing, and NO public POC in the provided data, so all real-world exploitation signals are absent; exploitation status is 'no public exploit identified at time of analysis.' The description is extremely thin ('bypass security restrictions due to improper authorization', CWE-285) and provides no evidence justifying the vendor's full C:H/I:H/A:H - an authorization bypass typically grants access to a restricted function or dataset, not automatic total system compromise, so I regard the triple-H impact as likely overstated (my independent estimate lands near 6.5). CONFLICT to verify: the tag 'Authentication Bypass' vs CWE-285 (improper authorization) - these are distinct (authz assumes the actor is already authenticated), though the PR:N vector makes 'bypass of security restrictions without credentials' at least internally consistent here. Net: a real, patch-worthy authorization flaw but a lower operational priority than the 8.1 suggests, given AC:H, no exploitation evidence, and a niche appliance footprint.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A remote attacker without credentials crafts a request to the Guardium web/management tier that exercises an improperly-authorized code path, causing the application to skip an access-control check and expose or act on restricted functionality. Because the vector is AC:H, the attacker must satisfy a specific precondition (particular request state, ordering, or configuration) rather than a single trivial request, and no public exploit code is known to exist.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.3% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 18, 2026

Authorization bypass in IBM Guardium Data Protection 12.2 lets remote, unauthenticated network attackers (CVSS vector AV:N/PR:N/UI:N) reach the product's management/web interface and sidestep intended authorization checks, granting access to data-protection functions they should not be able to invoke. IBM scores the flaw 8.1 (HIGH) with full unscoped impact (C:H/I:H/A:H) and AC:H, while our independent assessment keeps the same unauthenticated network vector but lowers the assessed impact to C:L/I:L/A:L - meaning the practical effect is more likely unauthorized read/modification of limited functionality than complete compromise, with the high complexity reflecting a non-trivial precondition (a specific request state, timing, or authorization configuration) that the vendor does not disclose. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, and a vendor fix is available through IBM support node 7288035.

RemediationAI

Patch available per vendor advisory: apply the fix published by IBM at https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7288035 for Guardium Data Protection 12.2 - no exact patched build number is present in the supplied intelligence, so obtain the specific fix level from that advisory before scheduling maintenance, and note that the CPE wildcard means you should re-verify version coverage rather than assuming only one 12.2 build is affected. Until the update is applied, the highest-value compensating control is network restriction: block or tightly filter access to the Guardium management/web interface so only administrative jump hosts or dedicated admin VLANs can reach it, which directly neutralizes the AV:N unauthenticated path at the cost of losing convenient remote management and possibly breaking integrations that call the same interface from other subnets. Where possible, place the appliance behind an authenticating reverse proxy or VPN with strong MFA so that requests arriving at the vulnerable endpoint have already passed an independent authorization boundary - this adds latency and a failure point but restores the authorization check the product itself is failing to enforce. Segment the Guardium appliance from general user networks and monitor its access logs for requests that reach management functions without a corresponding authenticated session; this detects exploitation attempts but does not prevent them, so pair it with the network controls above. Do not rely on the AC:H rating as a mitigation, since complexity reduces likelihood but not the consequence of a successful bypass.

Affected VersionsENISA

Guardium Data Protection 12.2

Affected Packages

euvd guardium_data_protection 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

The root cause class is CWE-285 (Improper Authorization): the affected IBM Guardium Data Protection component is failing to correctly enforce checks on what an unauthenticated or under-privileged requester is permitted to do, so an attacker can perform actions outside their intended privilege envelope rather than breaking cryptography or memory safety. The CPE entry recorded in the intelligence feed is wildcard-versioned (cpe:2.3:a:ibm:guardium_data_protection:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*), flagging the entire Guardium Data Protection product line in the CPE dictionary, while the description explicitly scopes the defect to release 12.2. Because Guardium is a database-activity-monitoring and data-security platform, the authorization layer it exposes governs access to monitoring policies, audit output, and agent/collector configuration - exactly the assets an unauthorized party would want to reach. The CVSS vectors agree on a remote, unauthenticated, no-user-interaction attack path, but IBM rates confidentiality, integrity and availability impact as High while independent assessment rates them Low; the retained AC:H in both views signals that exploitation is not a single default request and likely hinges on a particular request state or an authorization configuration that the vendor advisory does not describe.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (ibm) PRIMARY 8.1 HIGH
AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 5.6 MEDIUM

Keep unauthenticated network vector and AC:H per vendor, but the generic 'bypass security restrictions' with no evidence of total compromise supports partial C:L/I:L/A:L, not full impact.

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

Primary rating from Vendor (ibm).

CVSS VectorVendor: ibm

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

DescriptionCVE.org

IBM Guardium Data Protection 12.2 could allow a remote attacker to bypass security restrictions due to improper authorization.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

IBM Guardium Data Protection 12.2 - the platform many organizations rely on to monitor and control access to their most sensitive databases - contains an authorization bypass that lets an unauthenticated remote attacker reach its management interface and invoke data-protection functions they are not entitled to use. Because Guardium itself is a security control, undermining its authorization layer could degrade visibility and oversight across the databases it governs, and any organization exposing the management console to untrusted networks should treat this as a priority remediation item. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, and IBM has published a fix, so exposure is manageable through prompt patching rather than emergency containment.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 77% exploitable
Prevalence
Low
niche enterprise database-activity-monitoring appliance, limited deployment
Social Media
1
Sightings
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 0.3%
Patch available Yes
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

40
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +40
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.

CVE-2026-85542 HIGH POC
8.8 Sep 25

Authenticated command injection in IBM Guardium Data Protection 12.2 allows a user who can reach the GIM (Guardium Insta

CVE-2026-84064 CRITICAL
9.9 Sep 18

SQL injection in IBM Guardium Data Protection 12.2 allows a remote authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary SQL comma

CVE-2026-84075 CRITICAL
9.9 Sep 18

Unauthenticated remote attackers can bypass security restrictions in IBM Guardium Data Protection 12.2 through the Chang

CVE-2026-84078 CRITICAL
9.9 Sep 18

Missing authentication in the LoadBalancerServlet of IBM Guardium Data Protection 12.2 allows unauthenticated, network-r

CVE-2026-81657 CRITICAL
9.8 Sep 18

Unauthenticated remote code execution in IBM Guardium Data Protection 12.2 lets a network attacker who can reach the app

CVE-2026-75875 CRITICAL
9.8 Oct 08

Unauthenticated path traversal in IBM Guardium Data Protection 12.0, 12.1, and 12.2 can be leveraged by remote attackers

CVE-2026-82340 CRITICAL
9.8 Sep 18

Unauthenticated insecure deserialization in the Change Audit System (CAS) listener of IBM Guardium Data Protection 12.2

CVE-2026-82967 CRITICAL
9.8 Sep 18

Authentication bypass in IBM Guardium Data Protection 12.2 lets an unauthenticated remote attacker evade the IP-based ac

CVE-2026-84249 CRITICAL
9.8 Oct 08

Missing authentication on a critical management function in IBM Guardium Data Protection 12.2 and 12.2.2 allows unauthen

CVE-2026-84272 CRITICAL
9.8 Oct 08

Missing authentication in the edge-controller component of IBM Guardium Data Protection 12.1 and 12.2.2 allows unauthent

CVE-2026-84082 CRITICAL
9.8 Sep 18

Unauthenticated SQL injection in IBM Guardium Data Protection 12.2 lets a remote attacker submit crafted input that is c

CVE-2026-82344 CRITICAL
9.8 Oct 08

A heap-based buffer overflow in IBM Guardium Data Protection's S-TAP TrafficTap TDS login reassembly routine allows an u

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