CVE-2026-10575 in IBM
Summary
by MITRE • 09/18/2026
IBM MQ could allow an authenticated attacker to cause a denial of service or potentially escalate privileges due to a heap buffer overflow when processing MQPUT operations with malformed distribution headers.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/18/2026
The vulnerability identified in IBM MQ represents a critical security flaw rooted in improper memory management during the processing of Message Queue PUT operations. Specifically, the defect occurs within the component responsible for handling distribution headers associated with these messages. When an authenticated attacker submits a request containing a malformed or excessively long distribution header, the application fails to perform adequate bounds checking on the input data before copying it into heap-allocated memory buffers. This lack of validation leads directly to a heap buffer overflow condition, where more data is written than the allocated space can accommodate, thereby corrupting adjacent memory structures and potentially overwriting critical control information such as function pointers or object metadata stored in the same memory region.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability allows for two distinct attack vectors depending on the attacker's objectives and the specific state of the application at the time of exploitation. The most immediate impact is a denial of service, where the corruption of heap data causes the IBM MQ process to crash or become unresponsive, effectively disrupting message queuing services for all connected clients. However, given that this is a memory corruption vulnerability involving arbitrary write capabilities through buffer overflow techniques, it also presents a significant risk of privilege escalation. An attacker with valid authentication credentials could potentially craft malicious payloads designed to exploit the overwritten control data to execute arbitrary code within the context of the IBM MQ service process. This would grant the attacker elevated privileges on the underlying operating system, allowing them to access sensitive data, modify configurations, or pivot further into the network infrastructure protected by the message broker.
This flaw aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) category CWE-120, which describes buffer copy without checking size limits, a fundamental error in systems programming that often leads to memory corruption issues. Furthermore, from an offensive security perspective as defined by the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability facilitates techniques associated with Initial Access via valid accounts and subsequent Execution or Privilege Escalation through exploitation of application vulnerabilities. The requirement for authentication means that external attackers cannot exploit this directly without first compromising user credentials, but it remains a severe threat to environments where internal threats exist or where credential theft has occurred.
Mitigation strategies must focus on both immediate remediation and long-term architectural hardening. IBM should be contacted immediately to apply the latest security patches that address the input validation logic within the distribution header processing routine. Until patches are applied, administrators can implement network-level controls such as firewall rules or Web Application Firewalls (WAF) to restrict access to MQ ports only from trusted IP addresses and applications, thereby reducing the attack surface for authenticated users who might be compromised. Additionally, enforcing strict least-privilege principles on user accounts interacting with IBM MQ ensures that even if an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, their ability to escalate privileges or cause widespread damage is limited by the permissions assigned to those specific service accounts. Regular auditing of authentication logs and monitoring for anomalous message sizes or patterns can also aid in early detection of exploitation attempts.