BlackTreeCVE Intelligence
← Back to the CVE catalogue
Full vulnerability report · 2026
CVE-2026-93888High confidence

IBM Sterling Connect:Direct for Unix Buffer Overflow

IBM · Sterling Connect Direct for Unix

7.8HighCVSS 3.1
Recommended action
Within 7 days

High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.

Patch available
R
Operational reassessment

Published severity in operational context

Open reassessment dashboard →
Published severityHighOperational priority:Medium, lowered one band.downgradedsince 20 Oct 2026

Evidence used

  • No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
  • Exploitation requires an existing local or physical foothold with privileges.
  • EPSS is 0.17% for the current model date.

Compensating controls

  • Validate the affected product branch and deploy the verified fixed release.
  • Restrict local access and enforce least privilege on affected hosts.
  • Monitor vendor guidance and exploitation sources for a material change.

Verification

  1. Confirm that the asset runs IBM Sterling Connect Direct for Unix and falls inside the recorded affected range.
  2. Verify the installed build against the product-specific fixed version after deployment.
  3. Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
  4. Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Mitigation target: As exposure requiresRemediation target: Within 365 days

This automated reassessment organises public evidence. It does not know asset exposure, business impact or control effectiveness and does not replace CVSS or a human risk decision.

Optional official sources

National CERT insights
?CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.

Choose official national sources for this report. Each advisory shows its original language. Your selection is remembered on this device and included in shared links.

Official European source

ENISA European Vulnerability Database

Official EUVD identifiers, advisory evidence and known-exploited context. Missing fields are not treated as evidence of low risk.

1 current
ENISA EUVD identifier

EUVD-2026-106857

No EUVD known-exploited evidence

IBM Sterling Connect Direct for Unix 6.4.0.0 through 6.4.0.6 and 6.3.0.0 through 6.3.0.7 apnotify utility is vulnerable to a code injection due to insufficient validation of user input.

EUVD state
Present in the current official mapping
Known exploitation
Not present in the current ENISA EUVD known-exploited dataset. This is not proof of no exploitation.
ENISA score
7.8 · CVSS 3.1
Advisory evidence
No linked advisory details stored yet
Recommended actionWithin 7 days

High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.

Patch available
01

What, why and how

IBM Sterling Connect Direct for Unix 6.4.0.0 through 6.4.0.6 and 6.3.0.0 through 6.3.0.7 apnotify utility is vulnerable to a code injection due to insufficient validation of user input.

What

IBM Sterling Connect Direct for Unix 6.4.0.0 through 6.4.0.6 and 6.3.0.0 through 6.3.0.7 apnotify utility is vulnerable to a code injection due to insufficient validation of user input.

Why

A stack-based buffer overflow condition is a condition where the buffer being overwritten is allocated on the stack (i.e., is a local variable or, rarely, a parameter to a function).

How

An attacker operating through local access may attempt exploitation with low privileges. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

What

IBM Sterling Connect Direct for Unix 6.4.0.0 through 6.4.0.6 and 6.3.0.0 through 6.3.0.7 apnotify utility is vulnerable to a code injection due to insufficient validation of user input.

Why

A stack-based buffer overflow condition is a condition where the buffer being overwritten is allocated on the stack (i.e., is a local variable or, rarely, a parameter to a function).

How

An attacker operating through local access may attempt exploitation with low privileges. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

02

Exploit reality and attack path

CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.

Observed exploitation
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
No confirmed evidence

No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.

Public PoC / exploit material
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
None recorded

No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.

Likely attack path
local access → Stack-based Buffer Overflow → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
Attack surface
Local
Privileges required
Low: a basic authenticated account is required
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
Security boundary
Unchanged: impact remains within the vulnerable component's security authority
Weakness
?CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness.
CWE-121 ↗

CWE-121: Stack-based Buffer Overflow. A stack-based buffer overflow condition is a condition where the buffer being overwritten is allocated on the stack (i.e., is a local variable or, rarely, a parameter to a function).

CVSS vector
?CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Common Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.

AVLocalAttack vector: The attacker needs local access to the vulnerable system.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.PRLowPrivileges required: The attacker needs basic user-level privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.SUnchangedScope: The security impact remains within the vulnerable component's authority.CHighConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.IHighIntegrity impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.AHighAvailability impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.
Post-exploitation / living off the land
The issue can support a local privilege or sandbox boundary transition; normal system utilities may then be available in the gained context.
CWE-121
A

Official authority intelligence

Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.

ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-106857Official EUVD mapping

IBM Sterling Connect Direct for Unix 6.4.0.0 through 6.4.0.6 and 6.3.0.0 through 6.3.0.7 apnotify utility is vulnerable to a code injection due to insufficient validation of user input.

Official EUVD record ↗
BSI · German · WID-SEC-2026-4074IBM Sterling Connect:Direct: Schwachstelle ermöglicht Codeausführung

Ein lokaler Angreifer kann eine Schwachstelle in IBM Sterling Connect:Direct ausnutzen, um beliebigen Programmcode auszuführen.

Official advisory ↗
CERT-FR · French · CERTFR-2026-AVI-1336Avis du CERT-FR

d?id=CVE-2026-91776 Référence CVE CVE-2026-91777 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-91777 Référence CVE CVE-2026-93441 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-93441 Référence CVE CVE-2026-93442 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-93442 Référence CVE CVE-2026-93488 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-93488 Référence CVE CVE-2026-93558 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-93558 Référence CVE CVE-2026-93565 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-93565 Référence CVE CVE-2026-93566 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-93566 Référence CVE CVE-2026-93573 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-93573 Référence CVE CVE-2026-93888 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-93888 Référence CVE CVE-2026-93895 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-93895 Référence CVE CVE-2026-93905 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-93905 Référence CVE CVE-2026-93907 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-93907 Référence CVE CVE-2026-93909 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-93909 Référence CVE CVE-2026-93994 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-93994 Référence CVE CVE-2026-9563 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-9563 Référence CVE CVE-2026-95680 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-95680 Référence CVE CVE-2026-95695 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CV

Official advisory ↗
03

Patch and workaround

Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.

Status
?Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change.
Patch available
Affected
Sterling Connect Direct for Unix: 6.4.0.0 ≤ 6.4.0.6, 6.3.0.0 ≤ 6.3.0.7
Fixed
Action
Review the linked authoritative reference and apply the recorded fixed release appropriate to the affected product branch.
Workaround
No verified workaround is recorded. Limit untrusted access and use least privilege until authoritative guidance is available.
04

Evidence and provenance

Published 20 Oct 2026 · Last source change 22 Oct 2026, 23:04 UTC · CWE-121 · Stack-based Buffer Overflow

CVE recordCVE.org · 5.2
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source
?The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.
FIRST · tracked since 2026-10-21
European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-106857
Product sourceCNA
Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD awaiting enrichment

Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.

Material change intelligence

What changed after publication

View recent updates ↗
  1. ENISA EUVD mappingEUVD-2026-106857 was added to the official ENISA EUVD mapping for this CVE.
    Before
    not recorded
    After
    {"euvdId":"EUVD-2026-106857"}
    ENISA EUVD ↗
  2. Vendor guidanceAuthoritative vendor guidance changed: removed patch: ibm.com/7292127.
    Before
    patch: ibm.com/7292127 · remediation: ibm.com/7292127
    After
    remediation: ibm.com/7292127
    CNA ↗
  3. Vendor guidanceAuthoritative vendor guidance changed: added patch: ibm.com/7292127; added remediation: ibm.com/7292127; removed mitigation: cert.ssi.gouv.fr/CERTFR-2026-AVI-1336; removed remediation: cert.ssi.gouv.fr/CERTFR-2026-AVI-1336.
    Before
    mitigation: cert.ssi.gouv.fr/CERTFR-2026-AVI-1336 · remediation: cert.ssi.gouv.fr/CERTFR-2026-AVI-1336
    After
    patch: ibm.com/7292127 · remediation: ibm.com/7292127
    ibm.com ↗
  4. Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
    Before
    AIX versions 7.3.x sans le dernier correctif de sécurité Db2 Developer Extension versions antérieures à 1.2.1 Db2 intelligence center versions antérieures à 1.1.0 Db2 on Cloud Pak for Data and Db2 Warehouse on Cloud Pak for Data versions antérieures à v5.3.1 patch 15 QRadar SIEM versions 7.5.x antérieures à 7.5.0 UP16 IF02 QRadar SIEM versions 7.6.x antérieures à 7.6.0.5 Security QRadar Log Management AQL Plugin versions antérieures à 1.1.10 Sterling Connect:Direct for UNIX versions 6.3.x antérieures à 6.3.0.7.iFix033 Sterling Connect:Direct for UNIX versions 6.4.x antérieures à 6.4.0.6.iFix025 Sterling Control Center version 6.3.1.0 antérieure à 6.3.1.0 iFix12 Sterling Control Center version 6.4.2.0 antérieure à 6.4.2.0 iFix08 Sterling External Authentication Server versions 6.1.x antérieures à 6.1.1.5 Sterling Partner Engagement Manager Essentials Edition versions 6.2.4.x antérieures à 6.2.4.6 Sterling Partner Engagement Manager Essentials Edition versions 6.3.0.x antérieures à 6.3.0.4 Sterling Partner Engagement Manager Standard Edition versions 6.2.4.x antérieures à 6.2.4.6 WebSphere Application Server - Liberty versions 17.0.0.3 à 26.0.0.9 sans le dernier correctif de sécurité ou antérieures à 26.0.0.11 (disponibilité prévue pour le dernier trimestre 2026) WebSphere Application Server versions 8.x antérieures à 8.5.5.31 WebSphere Application Server versions 9.x antérieures à 9.0.5.29 · Fixed: The authority publishes remediation guidance. Confirm the exact fixed release in the linked primary advisory.
    After
    Sterling Connect Direct for Unix: 6.4.0.0 ≤ 6.4.0.6, 6.3.0.0 ≤ 6.3.0.7 · Fixed: IBM strongly recommends addressing the vulnerability now by upgrading; ProductVersionRemediation/Fix/InstructionsIBM Sterling Connect:Direct for Unix6.4.0.0 - 6.4.0.6.iFix021Apply 6.4.0.6.iFix022, included in 6.4.0.6.iFix025 available on Fix Central https://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/swg/selectFixes .IBM Sterling Connect:Direct for Unix6.3.0.0 - 6.3.0.7.iFix032Apply 6.3.0.7.iFix033, available on Fix Central https://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/swg/selectFixes .
    CNA ↗
  5. Remediation statusRemediation status changed from Mitigation available to Patch available.
    Before
    Mitigation available
    After
    Patch available
    ibm.com ↗
  6. SeveritySeverity changed from Unknown to High.
    Before
    Unknown
    After
    High
    CNA ↗
  7. CVSS scoreCVSS score changed from not recorded to 7.8 (CVSS 3.1 · CNA · CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
    Before
    not recorded
    After
    7.8 (CVSS 3.1 · CNA · CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)
    CNA ↗
  8. Catalogue recordCVE added to the BlackTree catalogue.
    Official national cybersecurity authority ↗
Material fields only · duplicate refreshes suppressed · history retained for the configured operational retention period
CVE published
Fixed release or patch reference recorded
ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-106857↗CVE authority or vendor reference↗Official CVE record (CNA and ADP data)↗NVD record↗
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
CVE
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
CVSS
Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
EPSS
Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
CWE
Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
CNA
CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
CISA ADP
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
NVD
National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
CERT / CSIRT
A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
PoC
Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
CSAF
Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
LoTL
Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.
Free version - for non-commercial use only.CVE-2026-93888 · cve.blacktree.nl