Description

IBM i 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3 could allow a remote authenticated attacker to obtain sensitive information due to a buffer overflow.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "5.3",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-13T20:17:16.807Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-13T20:17:16.807Z",
  "executiveSummary": "This vulnerability is classified as a buffer overflow that can lead to sensitive information disclosure within IBM i. The flaw affects multiple versions of the operating system, specifically IBM i 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3. Successful exploitation of this security issue enables a remote authenticated attacker to read sensitive data that should otherwise be restricted.\nThe risk implication associated with this vulnerability involves the potential exposure of critical system data or internal application information, which could facilitate subsequent attacks. Exploitation of the flaw requires remote network access and authentication, meaning an adversary must already possess valid credentials to interact with the vulnerable system component.\nThe underlying root cause stems from improper bounds checking within memory handling operations, allowing crafted inputs to trigger buffer over-reads or overflows. Because the vulnerability allows unauthorized retrieval of sensitive information, organizations running the affected IBM i versions face risks regarding data confidentiality. Immediate remediation requires applying the official vendor-supplied security fixes or patches provided by IBM to resolve the underlying buffer management flaw.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability resides in memory handling routines within IBM i 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3, where insufficient bounds checking allows a buffer overflow condition to occur. In software engineering terms, a buffer overflow happens when an application writes or reads more data than a fixed-length buffer can accommodate. In the context of this specific advisory, the flaw manifests as a memory over-read or overflow triggered during specific operational requests processed by the operating system.\nThe attack vector requires network exposure and remote access capabilities. An attacker must first authenticate to the target system, establishing a valid user session or interacting with an authenticated service interface provided by IBM i. Once authenticated, the adversary crafts a specialized payload or input sequence designed to exceed the allocated memory boundaries of the vulnerable internal component.\nThe attack flow proceeds as follows: First, the remote authenticated attacker connects to the exposed network service handling the vulnerable function. Second, the attacker submits the maliciously crafted input designed to induce a buffer overflow condition. Third, due to the lack of adequate input validation and bounds checking, the application processes the oversized data, causing memory corruption or exposing adjacent memory regions. Finally, the attacker exploits this condition to intercept or extract sensitive information residing within the affected memory space.\nThe technical prerequisites for successful exploitation include valid authentication credentials, network reachability to the vulnerable IBM i service, and the existence of the flaw across the affected software versions 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3. The post-exploitation impact is primarily centered on information disclosure, where the adversary gains unauthorized visibility into sensitive data structures, potentially uncovering credentials, internal system parameters, or confidential operational data stored in memory."
}