Full Report
IBM security advisory (AV26-1040)
Analysis Summary
# Vulnerability: Denial of Service in IBM WebSphere and mcp-context-forge
## CVE Details
- **CVE ID:** CVE-2026-103499
- **CVSS Score:** Not explicitly rated in the advisory, but typically associated with high-availability impact.
- **CWE:** Not specified in the summary.
## Affected Systems
- **Products:**
- IBM WebSphere Application Server
- IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty
- mcp-context-forge
- **Versions:**
- WebSphere Application Server: ≤ 8.5 and ≤ 9.0
- WebSphere Application Server Liberty: ≤ 26.0.0.10
- mcp-context-forge: ≤ 1.0.2
- **Configurations:** General installations of the listed versions.
## Vulnerability Description
The vulnerability allows for a Denial of Service (DoS) attack against IBM WebSphere Application Server and WebSphere Application Server Liberty. While specific technical details regarding the trigger (e.g., malformed headers or resource exhaustion) are not fully detailed in the high-level advisory, the flaw results in the service becoming unavailable to legitimate users. Additionally, the `mcp-context-forge` component contains unspecified security enhancements and bug fixes related to the Admin UI and database migrations.
## Exploitation
- **Status:** Not reported as exploited in the wild; no public PoC currently cited.
- **Complexity:** Low to Medium (Typical for DoS flaws in application servers).
- **Attack Vector:** Network (Remote).
## Impact
- **Confidentiality:** None
- **Integrity:** None
- **Availability:** High (Service disruption/instability).
## Remediation
### Patches
- **WebSphere Application Server:** Users should refer to the IBM support portal for specific Fix Packs or Interim Fixes related to CVE-2026-103499.
- **mcp-context-forge:** Upgrade to version **1.0.2** or higher to incorporate security enhancements.
- **WebSphere Liberty:** Update to the latest continuous delivery release following version 26.0.0.10.
### Workarounds
- No specific workarounds are provided in the advisory; patching is the recommended course of action.
## Detection
- **Indicators of Compromise:** Unexplained service restarts, high CPU/Memory utilization on the application server process, and "Out of Memory" errors in `SystemOut.log` or `trace.log`.
- **Detection methods and tools:** Monitor application availability using synthetic transactions or network monitoring tools to detect service degradation.
## References
- IBM Support Notice: hxxps[://]www[.]ibm[.]com/support/pages/node/7292214
- GitHub Release (mcp-context-forge): hxxps[://]github[.]com/IBM/mcp-context-forge/releases/tag/v1.0.2
- IBM PSIRT: hxxps[://]www[.]ibm[.]com/support/pages/bulletin/
- Cyber Centre Advisory: hxxps[://]www[.]cyber[.]gc[.]ca/en/alerts-advisories/ibm-security-advisory-av26-1040