CVE-2026-78399 in Security Verify Access
Summary
by MITRE • 10/09/2026
IBM Security Verify Access 10.0 through 10.0.9.2 and IBM Verify Identity Access 11.0 through 11.0.3 could allow an authenticated user to cause a denial of service using a specially crafted HTTP query due to improper allocation of system resources
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/09/2026
The vulnerability identified in IBM Security Verify Access versions 10.0 through 10.0.9.2 and IBM Verify Identity Access versions 11.0 through 11.0.3 represents a significant risk to the availability of identity management infrastructure. This flaw is categorized as an improper allocation of system resources, which falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) identifier CWE-400. The core technical issue stems from how the application handles specific HTTP queries that are crafted in a manner designed to trigger excessive resource consumption. Unlike vulnerabilities that require unauthenticated access or privilege escalation, this flaw specifically targets authenticated users, meaning an attacker must first successfully authenticate against the system before they can exploit the condition. This requirement limits the attack surface but does not eliminate the risk, as compromised credentials or insider threats can easily leverage this weakness.
The operational mechanism of the vulnerability involves sending specially crafted HTTP requests that cause the application to allocate disproportionate amounts of memory, CPU cycles, or other critical system resources relative to the complexity or size of the request. This inefficient resource management leads to a state where legitimate services are starved of necessary computing power, resulting in a denial of service condition. The impact is primarily on availability rather than confidentiality or integrity, as the primary consequence is the degradation or complete cessation of identity verification and access control functions for other users. In an enterprise environment relying on these IBM products for single sign-on or multi-factor authentication, such disruptions can halt business operations, prevent employee access to critical applications, and create significant operational downtime until services are restored.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique T1499, specifically Endpoint Denial of Service, where an adversary disrupts or denies service to computing resources on a system or network. The requirement for authentication places this within the context of lateral movement or insider threats rather than initial external intrusion via unauthenticated vectors. However, if attackers can obtain valid credentials through phishing or credential stuffing attacks, they can execute this denial-of-service attack with high reliability and low detection risk during the exploitation phase. This makes it a potent tool for disruptive campaigns aimed at causing organizational chaos without necessarily stealing data directly.
Mitigation strategies must focus on both immediate remediation and long-term architectural resilience. The primary and most effective mitigation is to apply the vendor-provided patches or updates that address the resource allocation logic within the specified software versions. Organizations should prioritize updating IBM Security Verify Access and IBM Verify Identity Access instances to their latest supported releases as soon as possible. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible due to change management cycles, network-level controls such as rate limiting on HTTP requests can help mitigate the impact by throttling suspiciously high volumes of traffic from single sources. Additionally, implementing Web Application Firewalls with rules designed to detect and block anomalous request patterns may provide a layer of defense against exploitation attempts while patches are being deployed. Regular monitoring for spikes in resource usage correlated with authentication events should also be established to facilitate rapid detection and response if an attack occurs.