CVE-2026-109126 in Verify Identity Access
Summary
by MITRE • 10/20/2026
IBM Verify Identity Access 11.0.3.1 and IBM Security Verify Access 10.0.9.3 Appliance could allow a physically proximate attacker to gain elevated privileges due to the use of hard-coded credentials.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/20/2026
The vulnerability identified in IBM Verify Identity Access version 11.0.3.1 and IBM Security Verify Access version 10.0.9.3 represents a critical failure in credential management practices, specifically involving the presence of hardcoded or default administrative credentials within the appliance software. This flaw allows an attacker who has achieved physical proximity to the target system to bypass authentication mechanisms entirely by leveraging these pre-configured access keys. In enterprise environments where identity and access management solutions serve as gatekeepers for sensitive data and systems, such a weakness undermines the fundamental security posture of the organization. The existence of static credentials that are not unique per deployment or easily discoverable creates a significant attack surface that does not rely on complex exploitation techniques but rather on basic physical access to the hardware components hosting the identity management services.
From a technical perspective, this issue aligns with CWE-798: Use of Hard-coded Credentials, which is classified as a high-severity weakness in software security design and implementation. The vulnerability stems from the inclusion of default passwords or API keys within the firmware or application code that are either left unchanged during initial setup or cannot be easily rotated by administrators without significant effort. When an attacker gains physical access to the appliance, they can potentially extract these credentials through direct console access, memory dumping, or inspection of configuration files stored on local storage media. This bypasses network-based security controls such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems because the attack vector originates from inside the perimeter boundary, effectively neutralizing many traditional defense-in-depth strategies that assume physical isolation is sufficient to prevent unauthorized access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, particularly for organizations relying on IBM Security Verify Access or IBM Verify Identity Access for single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, and policy enforcement across their infrastructure. If an attacker successfully exploits this flaw using physically proximate access, they can gain elevated privileges equivalent to a system administrator. This level of access allows the adversary to modify identity policies, create new administrative accounts, exfiltrate user credentials stored within the session management database, or disable logging mechanisms to cover their tracks. In high-security environments such as financial institutions, healthcare providers, or government agencies, this could lead to widespread data breaches, regulatory non-compliance under frameworks like GDPR or HIPAA, and significant reputational damage due to the compromise of critical identity infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies must focus on both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements. The primary recommendation is for organizations to immediately update their IBM Verify Identity Access and IBM Security Verify Access appliances to the latest patched versions provided by IBM, which should address the hardcoded credential issue or enforce mandatory password changes upon initial deployment. Additionally, administrators should audit all existing deployments to ensure that default credentials have been replaced with strong, unique passwords following industry best practices for key management. Physical security controls are also paramount; facilities housing these appliances must implement strict access control measures such as biometric locks, surveillance monitoring, and restricted entry protocols to prevent unauthorized physical proximity. Furthermore, organizations should consider implementing hardware security modules or external secret management solutions to decouple sensitive credentials from the application codebase entirely, reducing reliance on static configuration values that can be easily extracted by physically present attackers.
This vulnerability also maps to MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to credential access and privilege escalation. Specifically, it relates to T1078: Valid Accounts, where adversaries use legitimate account credentials obtained through physical means rather than network-based attacks like phishing or brute force. It may also intersect with T1539: Steal Web Session Cookie if the attacker can extract session tokens stored in memory alongside the hardcoded keys. Understanding these mappings helps security teams contextualize the risk within broader threat intelligence frameworks and prioritize response efforts accordingly. By treating physical access as a viable attack vector, organizations can better align their defensive strategies with modern adversarial tactics that increasingly target the weakest link in the chain: human-controlled physical environments rather than purely digital boundaries.