Description

IBM i 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3 could allow a local authenticated attacker to cause a denial of service due to improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "8.5",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-12T18:17:26.807Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-12T18:17:26.807Z",
  "executiveSummary": "A denial of service vulnerability exists in IBM i versions 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3 that could allow a local authenticated attacker to compromise system availability. The flaw stems from improper neutralization of special elements used within an SQL command, classifying the vulnerability as a form of SQL injection affecting database command processing. Successful exploitation of this weakness requires local access and authentication to the target system. An attacker with the requisite access can craft specialized input containing malicious SQL syntax that, when processed by the vulnerable component, disrupts normal operations and triggers a denial of service condition. The risk implications include potential operational downtime and loss of service availability for critical workloads hosted on the affected IBM i environment. Mitigation relies on applying vendor-supplied updates or patches designed to properly sanitize and neutralize special elements within SQL command parsing logic, preventing malformed or malicious commands from impacting system stability.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability resides in the SQL command processing functionality of IBM i versions 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3. The root cause of the flaw is improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command, indicating a lack of robust input validation and sanitization before the database engine interprets and executes the provided command strings. When an input string containing specially crafted characters or command structures is processed, the SQL parser fails to properly distinguish between literal data and executable query syntax, leading to unintended command execution or parsing anomalies.\nExploitation of this vulnerability requires the attacker to possess local authentication to the target IBM i system. While remote network exposure is not a prerequisite, an authenticated local user can leverage command-line interfaces, application APIs, or database query tools that interact with the vulnerable SQL processing component. The attack flow commences with the adversary formulating a malicious payload consisting of improperly neutralized special elements embedded within an SQL command structure. The attacker then submits this crafted query to the database subsystem for execution.\nUpon receiving the input, the vulnerable component attempts to process the unsanitized command string. Due to the lack of adequate input validation, the injected special elements alter the intended logic of the SQL command, driving the database engine or the host subsystem into an erroneous state, infinite loop, resource exhaustion condition, or fatal exception. This payload behavior directly precipitates the denial of service impact, freezing or crashing the affected service and preventing legitimate users and administrative processes from interacting with the database or related system functions. Post-exploitation impact is strictly confined to availability disruption, as the vulnerability profile specifically details a denial of service condition stemming from command neutralization flaws rather than arbitrary code execution or privilege escalation vectors."
}