Description
IBM WebSphere Application Server - Liberty 17.0.0.3 through 26.0.0.8 is vulnerable to a privilege escalation when using Liberty collectives.
Published: 2026-08-12
Score: 8.1 High
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
AI Analysis

Impact

IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty versions 17.0.0.3 through 26.0.0.8 are vulnerable to a privilege escalation when using Liberty collectives. The flaw allows an authenticated user who can access collective features to gain elevated privileges, potentially enabling unauthorized configuration changes or deployment of malicious components. This impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability through improper access control (CWE-285).

Affected Systems

The affected product is IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty. Clients running versions 17.0.0.3 up to 26.0.0.8 that have the collectiveController-1.0 or collectiveMember-1.0 features enabled are at risk. Identical impacts apply across all supported platforms for this Liberty line.

Risk and Exploitability

The CVSS score of 8.1 labels the vulnerability as high severity. No EPSS data is available and the issue is not listed in CISA KEV, indicating no confirmed exploitation yet. Nevertheless, attackers would need access to a Liberty environment with collective features enabled, which could be local or remote depending on the deployment. The recommended mitigation is to patch promptly, as exploitation risk remains significant in the absence of a fix.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on August 13, 2026 at 00:20 UTC.

Remediation

Vendor Solution

IBM strongly recommends addressing the vulnerability now by applying a currently available interim fix or fix pack that contains the fix for APAR DT497580. To determine if a feature is enabled for IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty, refer to How to determine if Liberty is using a specific feature https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6553910 .  For IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty 17.0.0.3 - 26.0.0.8 using the collectiveController-1.0 or collectiveMember-1.0 feature(s):  · Upgrade to minimal fix pack levels as required by the interim fix and then apply the Interim Fix that resolves DT497580 https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7283466 --OR-- · Apply Liberty Fix Pack 26.0.0.9 or later (targeted availability 3Q2026).  Additional interim fixes may be available and linked off the interim fix download page.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Upgrade the Liberty installation to the latest fix pack—applying the interim fix for APAR DT497580 or upgrading to Liberty Fix Pack 26.0.0.9 or later; ensure the installation is on the minimal required fix pack level before applying the interim fix.
  • Disable or remove the collectiveController-1.0 and collectiveMember-1.0 features if they are not required, which eliminates the attack surface for this privilege escalation.
  • After applying the fix or disabling the features, verify that the Liberty environment no longer permits privilege escalation by testing access controls or consulting IBM support to confirm remediation.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on August 13, 2026 at 00:20 UTC.

Tracking

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Advisories

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History

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 17:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Ibm websphere Application Server
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:ibm:websphere_application_server:*:*:*:*:liberty:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Ibm websphere Application Server

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description IBM WebSphere Application Server - Liberty 17.0.0.3 through 26.0.0.8 is vulnerable to a privilege escalation when using Liberty collectives.
Title IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty is affected by a privilege escalation
First Time appeared Ibm
Ibm websphere Application Server Liberty
Weaknesses CWE-285
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:ibm:websphere_application_server_liberty:17.0.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:websphere_application_server_liberty:26.0.0.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Ibm
Ibm websphere Application Server Liberty
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 8.1, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N'}

Subscriptions

Ibm Websphere Application Server Websphere Application Server Liberty
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: ibm

Published:

Updated: 2026-08-13T03:55:46.982Z

Reserved: 2026-07-31T16:05:24.890Z

Link: CVE-2026-18499

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2026-08-12T16:52:02.352Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Analyzed

Published: 2026-08-12T17:17:25.650

Modified: 2026-08-17T17:36:35.713

Link: CVE-2026-18499

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-08-13T00:30:06Z

Weaknesses