CVE-2026-18250 in IBM
Summary
by MITRE • 08/12/2026
IBM i 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3 could allow a remote authenticated attacker to obtain sensitive information and bypass security restrictions due to a race condition.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/12/2026
This vulnerability affects IBM i operating systems versions 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3, presenting a significant security risk through a race condition flaw that enables remote authenticated attackers to exploit sensitive information disclosure and security restriction bypass capabilities. The underlying technical issue stems from improper synchronization mechanisms within the system's security framework, where concurrent access patterns create temporal windows allowing unauthorized data exposure. This race condition occurs during critical security operations when multiple processes attempt to access shared resources without proper mutual exclusion controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it fundamentally undermines the integrity of the system's access control mechanisms. An attacker with legitimate authentication credentials can leverage this weakness to escalate privileges or access restricted system components that should normally be protected from their level of authorization. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation does not require physical access to the system, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where IBM i systems are commonly deployed.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-362 which specifically addresses race conditions in security-critical operations and maps to several ATT&CK techniques including privilege escalation and credential access. The flaw essentially creates a temporal inconsistency in the system's security model where legitimate users can exploit timing gaps to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or system functions. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning because it leverages legitimate authentication mechanisms rather than bypassing them entirely, making detection more challenging for security monitoring systems.
Organizations running affected IBM i versions should prioritize immediate patch deployment as the primary mitigation strategy, while implementing additional controls such as network segmentation to limit access to critical systems. Monitoring for unusual authentication patterns and implementing stricter access controls can help detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper concurrent programming practices in security-critical systems and highlights the need for comprehensive testing of race condition scenarios during system development and maintenance cycles. Security teams should also consider implementing automated vulnerability scanning tools that can identify systems running affected IBM i versions and track remediation progress across their infrastructure.