CVE-2026-11375 in IBM
Summary
by MITRE • 09/18/2026
IBM MQ could allow an authenticated attacker to cause a denial of service or potentially execute arbitrary code due to a stack buffer overflow when processing XA transaction identifiers.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/18/2026
The vulnerability identified in IBM Message Queue (MQ) represents a critical security flaw rooted in improper memory management during the processing of Extended Architecture transactions, specifically involving XA transaction identifiers. As an authenticated attacker interacts with the messaging infrastructure, they can supply specially crafted input that exceeds the expected buffer boundaries for these specific transaction parameters. This stack-based buffer overflow occurs because the application fails to adequately validate or sanitize the length and content of the incoming data before copying it into a fixed-size memory location on the call stack. The presence of this flaw allows an attacker who has valid credentials to manipulate the control flow of the program by overwriting adjacent memory locations, which can include return addresses or function pointers stored within the same stack frame.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) identifiers such as CWE-120 Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input and potentially CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write depending on the specific memory layout exploited. The exploitation mechanism relies on precise control over the stack contents to achieve arbitrary code execution or, in less sophisticated attack scenarios, a simple denial of service by causing an application crash through segmentation faults. When the overflowed data corrupts critical program state information, the integrity of the IBM MQ process is compromised, leading to unpredictable behavior that can disrupt message routing and delivery services essential for enterprise integration architectures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for remote code execution with the privileges of the affected service account. If an attacker successfully exploits the stack buffer overflow, they may gain full control over the underlying operating system where IBM MQ is deployed. This level of access allows for further lateral movement within the network, data exfiltration, or complete disruption of business-critical messaging workflows. Even in cases where code execution is not achieved, a successful denial-of-service attack can halt communication between distributed applications relying on IBM MQ as their middleware backbone, resulting in significant downtime and potential financial loss for organizations dependent on real-time message processing capabilities.
Mitigation strategies must focus on both immediate remediation and long-term architectural hardening. The primary defense involves applying the latest security patches provided by IBM that address this specific buffer overflow issue within the XA transaction handling logic. Organizations should ensure their maintenance schedules are up to date with all critical fixes related to IBM MQ components. Additionally, implementing strict input validation at the application layer can provide an additional safeguard against malformed data inputs. Network segmentation and access control lists should be reviewed to restrict direct connectivity to IBM MQ ports from untrusted networks or users who do not require explicit messaging privileges. Regular auditing of authentication logs for anomalous activity patterns related to transaction identifier submissions can also aid in early detection of exploitation attempts before significant damage occurs.