CVE-2026-7253 in Watson Speech Services Cartridge
Summary
by MITRE • 06/22/2026
IBM Watson Speech Services Cartridge is vulnerable to Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) in Sterling File Gateway, due to a flaw which may allow an authenticated attacker to send unauthorized requests from the system, potentially leading to network enumeration or facilitating other attacks [GHSA-rr7j-v2q5-chgv] [CVE-2026-7253]. IBM Sterling File Gateway is used in our speech runtimes. This vulnerabilitiy has been addressed. Please read the details for remediation below.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2026
The vulnerability identified in IBM Watson Speech Services Cartridge within Sterling File Gateway represents a critical server-side request forgery flaw that fundamentally undermines the security boundaries of affected systems. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper handling of external resource requests, allowing authenticated attackers to manipulate the system into making unauthorized network connections to arbitrary destinations. The flaw exists at the core of how the system processes external requests, creating an attack vector that bypasses normal network restrictions and access controls. Organizations utilizing IBM Sterling File Gateway in their speech runtime environments face significant risk exposure due to this vulnerability's potential for lateral movement and information disclosure.
The technical implementation of this SSRF vulnerability allows attackers to craft malicious requests that leverage the legitimate system credentials and network privileges of the Sterling File Gateway service. When an authenticated user submits a request containing crafted parameters, the system fails to properly validate the destination addresses, enabling the service to establish connections to internal network resources or external systems that should otherwise be inaccessible. This flaw operates at the application layer and can be exploited through various methods including direct parameter manipulation, URL encoding variations, or protocol switching techniques that bypass typical network filtering mechanisms. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic lack of proper input sanitization and destination validation, creating an environment where attacker-controlled inputs can influence the system's network behavior.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential reconnaissance activities and privilege escalation opportunities. An attacker could leverage this flaw to enumerate internal network services, discover sensitive systems, or map network topology information that would normally remain hidden from external observation. The vulnerability also provides a foundation for more sophisticated attacks including credential theft, data exfiltration, or the establishment of command and control channels. Additionally, the authenticated nature of the attack means that adversaries need only obtain legitimate user credentials to begin exploiting the system, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where access controls are not properly enforced. This type of vulnerability is categorized under CWE-918 as "Server-Side Request Forgery" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol manipulation.
Organizations should implement immediate remediation measures including applying the official patches provided by IBM to address this vulnerability in their Sterling File Gateway deployments. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be reviewed to limit unnecessary outbound connections from the affected systems, while monitoring solutions should be enhanced to detect unusual network activity patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Access controls should be strengthened through proper authentication mechanisms and privilege management to minimize the impact of potential credential compromise. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar issues in other components of the speech runtime infrastructure, as this vulnerability represents a pattern that may exist elsewhere in complex enterprise systems. The remediation process should also include comprehensive testing to ensure that legitimate functionality is preserved while eliminating the attack vectors exposed by this SSRF vulnerability.