Description

IBM i Access Family 1.1.2.0 through 1.1.9.15 could allow an authenticated user to execute arbitrary commands with normal user privileges on the system due to improper validation of user supplied input in a session file.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "6.3",
  "pubDate": "2026-09-14T21:17:02.560Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-09-14T21:17:02.560Z",
  "executiveSummary": "IBM i Access Family versions 1.1.2.0 through 1.1.9.15 are susceptible to a command injection vulnerability stemming from improper input validation during the processing of session files.\nThe vulnerability allows an authenticated user to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying system, operating with the privileges of the local user account.\nThis flaw represents a significant security risk, as it permits lateral movement or malicious activity within the user's privilege scope by manipulating externally controlled session configurations.\nSuccessful exploitation requires the attacker to be authenticated to the system and capable of providing a specially crafted session file.\nThe impact includes the potential for unauthorized code execution and system configuration manipulation, thereby undermining the integrity of the application's input processing logic.",
  "technicalDetails": "The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper sanitization and validation of user-supplied data within session files utilized by the IBM i Access Family. The application parses these files to initialize session parameters; however, the lack of rigorous input validation permits the injection of unauthorized command sequences.\nWhen a session file is processed, the application fails to adequately neutralize meta-characters or enforce strict schema compliance, enabling an attacker to embed malicious command payloads directly into the file structure.\nThe attack flow proceeds as follows: First, an authenticated attacker crafts a malicious session file containing the desired command payload. Second, the attacker triggers the application to load or parse this file. Third, the application's parser fails to sanitize the input, passing the embedded command strings to a system execution primitive or shell interface. Finally, the injected command is executed with the context and permission level of the currently authenticated user.\nThe vulnerable component is the session file parsing module, which facilitates the deserialization or configuration loading process for IBM i Access Family. Because this process lacks secondary validation or context-aware escaping, the system treats user-provided input as trusted instructions.\nAffected versions include 1.1.2.0 through 1.1.9.15. Exploitation requires authenticated access, meaning the attacker must already possess valid user credentials for the target environment. The vulnerability does not grant escalation of privilege beyond the existing user's scope but effectively elevates the attacker's ability to automate unauthorized operations or interact with system binaries that the user has legitimate access to execute.\nPost-exploitation impact involves the arbitrary execution of system-level commands, allowing the attacker to perform reconnaissance, exfiltrate sensitive files accessible to the user, or manipulate local application data. This exploit path significantly reduces the effort required for an adversary to perform post-authentication malicious actions, as it bypasses the intended functional interface by subverting the configuration loading mechanism.\nBecause the execution occurs within the user's environment, the visibility of the activity is tied to the standard logging capabilities associated with the user process, often making detection difficult without specialized process auditing or integrity monitoring on session file operations."
}