Description

IBM i 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3 could allow a remote authenticated attacker to obtain sensitive information due to an out-of-bounds read.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "5.4",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-13T20:17:16.140Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-13T20:17:16.140Z",
  "executiveSummary": "An out-of-bounds read vulnerability has been identified in IBM i versions 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3, posing a risk to data confidentiality across affected enterprise environments. This security flaw allows a remote authenticated attacker to access sensitive information that should otherwise be restricted.\nThe vulnerability manifests as an information disclosure vector resulting from improper bounds checking within memory handling operations. Successful exploitation requires the attacker to possess authenticated access to the target system, lowering the immediate external exposure but increasing risks associated with insider threats, compromised credentials, or lateral movement.\nThe primary impact of this vulnerability is the unauthorized retrieval of sensitive data residing in adjacent memory segments, which may include system internals, user data, or cryptographic material. Such information leakage can facilitate further targeting or privilege escalation activities within the IBM i ecosystem.\nOrganizations operating the affected IBM i versions must evaluate their system exposure and apply vendor-supplied patches or interim workarounds as soon as they become available. Restricting network and system access to trusted authenticated entities remains a critical defense-in-depth measure to mitigate unauthorized probing and information harvesting attempts.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability is classified as an out-of-bounds read, stemming from a memory safety defect where an application or system component reads data past the allocated buffer boundary. This typically occurs due to insufficient input validation or incorrect arithmetic calculations regarding buffer lengths when processing requests.\nThe affected products are IBM i versions 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3. Exploitation requires the attacker to be authenticated, meaning the adversary must first establish a valid session or leverage compromised user credentials to interact with the vulnerable service or component responsible for the memory handling operation.\nDuring the attack flow, the authenticated adversary submits a specially crafted request or input designed to trigger the out-of-bounds read condition. Because the vulnerable component fails to properly validate memory offsets or size boundaries during the read operation, the underlying process reads beyond the intended data structure boundaries.\nThe payload behavior involves capturing the contents of adjacent memory segments, which may contain sensitive runtime data, internal system structures, or information belonging to other concurrent processes or sessions. This harvested data is subsequently returned to the attacker through application response mechanisms, leading to unauthorized information disclosure.\nThe post-exploitation impact centers primarily on confidentiality loss. The retrieved sensitive information can be analyzed by the attacker to map internal memory layouts, bypass security controls, or extract credentials and configuration secrets, thereby enabling advanced stages of a cyber attack against the IBM i infrastructure."
}