CVE-2026-84275 in Guardium Data Protection
Summary
by MITRE • 10/08/2026
IBM Guardium Data Protection 12.2 is vulnerable to path traversal in the GIM file-upload functionality. An unauthenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability to write arbitrary files to the Collector.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/08/2026
The IBM Guardium Data Protection version 12.2 contains a critical security flaw within its GIM file-upload component, classified as a directory traversal or path traversal vulnerability. This specific weakness allows an adversary who has not yet authenticated with the system to manipulate input parameters in a way that bypasses intended access controls. By exploiting this flaw, an attacker can construct malicious requests designed to write arbitrary files directly onto the Collector's filesystem. The core technical issue stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied file paths or names during the upload process, failing to properly sanitize directory separators such as forward slashes or backslashes before processing them against the server's local path structure.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory, which describes situations where software does not sufficiently neutralize special elements within a file name that can cause files to be located outside of the intended directory. Furthermore, in terms of tactical behavior, this exploitation technique corresponds to ATT&CK T1505.003: Server Software Component: Web Shell, as writing arbitrary executable or script files often serves as an initial access vector for establishing persistent control over the compromised system. The lack of authentication requirement significantly elevates the severity of the issue, transforming it from a privilege escalation risk into a direct remote code execution pathway accessible to any network-connected entity with reachability to the service port.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted. Once an attacker successfully writes arbitrary files to the Collector, they can potentially deploy web shells or other malicious scripts that execute within the context of the application server process. This grants the adversary full control over the underlying operating system, enabling them to exfiltrate sensitive data protected by Guardium, modify security policies, install additional malware for lateral movement, or use the compromised collector as a pivot point for further attacks against internal network segments. Given that IBM Guardium is designed specifically for monitoring and protecting critical databases, compromising its infrastructure undermines the integrity of the entire data protection ecosystem it supports.
Mitigation strategies must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural resilience. The primary defense involves applying the vendor-provided security patches or updates to upgrade IBM Guardium Data Protection to a version where this path traversal flaw has been resolved through rigorous input validation and strict file system access controls. In environments where patching is not immediately feasible, network-level mitigations such as restricting access to the GIM service ports via firewall rules should be implemented to limit exposure only to trusted management networks. Additionally, deploying Web Application Firewalls with specific signatures for directory traversal attacks can provide a layer of defense-in-depth by blocking malicious payloads before they reach the application logic. Regular auditing of file system permissions and monitoring for unusual file creation events on collector nodes are also recommended to detect potential exploitation attempts early in the kill chain.