CVE-2026-92876 in Maximo Application Suite
Summary
by MITRE • 10/13/2026
IBM Maximo Application Suite - IoT Component 9.2.0, 9.1.0, and 9.0.0 could allow a remote attacker to cause a denial of service due to uncontrolled recursion.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/13/2026
The vulnerability identified in IBM Maximo Application Suite versions 9.0.0 through 9.2.0 specifically affects the Internet of Things component, presenting a critical risk for organizations relying on this platform for industrial asset management and monitoring. The core technical flaw is an uncontrolled recursion issue within the software logic that processes incoming data or requests related to IoT device interactions. When a remote attacker crafts specific input designed to trigger recursive function calls without proper termination conditions or depth limits, the application enters an infinite loop. This behavior consumes system resources such as CPU cycles and memory at an accelerating rate until the process is terminated by the operating system due to resource exhaustion, resulting in a denial of service condition for that instance of the application server.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) category CWE-674, which describes uncontrolled recursion where functions call themselves without adequate base cases or depth checks. In the context of enterprise software like Maximo Application Suite, such vulnerabilities often arise from complex event processing engines or message brokers that handle high volumes of telemetry data from connected devices. If the parsing logic for specific IoT payloads fails to validate input structure before initiating recursive operations, it allows an external actor to exploit this gap. The attacker does not need authentication if the affected endpoint is exposed to untrusted networks, although such exposure is generally discouraged in secure deployments. However, even internal network access can be leveraged by compromised devices or malicious insiders to trigger the flaw.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations dependent on continuous availability of their IoT infrastructure. A successful exploitation leads to service disruption, preventing users from accessing critical dashboards, receiving alerts, or managing assets through the Maximo interface. In industrial environments where real-time monitoring is essential for safety and efficiency, such downtime can lead to operational delays, missed maintenance windows, or inability to respond to urgent equipment failures. The denial of service affects availability, one of the three pillars of the CIA triad in information security, thereby undermining trust in the system's reliability.
To mitigate this risk, organizations should apply the latest patches provided by IBM for Maximo Application Suite versions 9.0.0 through 9.2.0 as soon as possible. These updates typically include code changes that enforce strict input validation and implement safeguards against deep recursion or infinite loops. In addition to patching, network segmentation strategies can reduce exposure by ensuring that IoT management interfaces are not directly accessible from untrusted networks. Implementing web application firewalls with rules designed to detect anomalous request patterns may also help in blocking exploitation attempts before they reach the vulnerable code path. Security teams should monitor system logs for signs of high CPU usage or service restarts, which could indicate ongoing exploitation attempts against this flaw.
This vulnerability is categorized under ATT&CK technique T1499, Endpoint Denial of Service, as it involves resources consumed on a specific endpoint to degrade its availability. Understanding the attack vector allows security operations centers to tune detection rules for unusual resource consumption patterns associated with recursive processing errors. By addressing both the software defect and the surrounding architectural controls, organizations can effectively neutralize this threat and maintain the integrity and availability of their IoT-enabled business processes.