{"id":"CVE-2026-16884","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2026-16884"],"related":[],"title":"IBM API Connect: XML external entity flaw leaks sensitive server information","description":"IBM API Connect 12.1.0.0 through 12.1.1.2 could allow a remote attacker to obtain sensitive information due to an XML external entity (XXE) injection.","summary":"IBM API Connect versions 12.1.0.0 through 12.1.1.2 process XML input that can reference external entities. A remote attacker can use this XML external entity (XXE) injection to obtain sensitive information from the server.","severity":"critical","cvss":9.9,"epss":null,"exploited":false,"exploited_at":null,"products":[{"name":"api-connect","fixed":["12.1.1.3"],"affected":">= 12.1.0.0, <= 12.1.1.2","ecosystem":"vendor"}],"ecosystems":[],"tags":["api-gateway","ibm-api-connect","on-prem","self-hosted","vendor"],"not_affected_if":["version-outside-range"],"how_to_check":"Check your IBM API Connect V12 version (management, gateway, portal and analytics subsystems): 12.1.0.0 through 12.1.1.2 is affected, 12.1.1.3 is the fixed release. Versions 10.0.8.x are not listed for this CVE. IBM's CVSS vector rates it network-reachable with no authentication (AV:N/PR:N); IBM's text does not say which endpoints take the XML.","fix":"Upgrade IBM API Connect to v12.1.1.3 (IBM Fix Central; release notice: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7290205).","status":"open","published_at":"2026-11-07T05:18:22+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-11-07T05:45:57+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-11-07T05:48:17+00:00","updated_at":"2026-11-07T06:02:17+00:00","category":"vendor","confidence":0.7,"triage":{"at":"2026-11-07T05:48:17Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"unknown","reach":"internet","title":"IBM API Connect: XML external entity flaw leaks sensitive server information","impact":"medium","summary":"IBM API Connect versions 12.1.0.0 through 12.1.1.2 process XML input that can reference external entities. A remote attacker can use this XML external entity (XXE) injection to obtain sensitive information from the server.","audience":"businesses","category":"vendor","nicknames":[],"who_cares":["ibm-api-connect","api-gateway"],"confidence":0.6,"fix_status":"unknown","needs_auth":"unknown","worst_case":"Remote attacker reads sensitive server files through XXE injection","analyst_note":"Find IBM's security bulletin for CVE-2026-16884 to confirm the fixed version, the affected endpoints and whether the flaw is default-on.","how_to_check":"- Check the installed IBM API Connect version against the affected range 12.1.0.0 through 12.1.1.2.\n- unknown for other checks; the sources do not say which endpoints or settings accept XML.","plain_action":"","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["version-outside-range"],"who_is_affected":"Organizations running IBM API Connect 12.1.0.0 through 12.1.1.2 that expose its XML-processing endpoints to the network. The sources do not say which endpoints or configurations are exposed by default. Teams on other versions or other products can skip it.","user_interaction":"no","needs_special_setup":"unknown","severity_if_unknown":"critical"},"cost_usd":0.000687,"input_tokens":4196,"output_tokens":535,"severity_before":"critical"},"analyst_status":"done","analyst_note":"Find IBM's security bulletin for CVE-2026-16884 to confirm the fixed version, the affected endpoints and whether the flaw is default-on.","search":"'-16884':14A,17A '-2026':13A,16A '12.1.0.0':39B,71C '12.1.1.2':41B,73C 'allow':75C 'api':2A,19A,22B,26B,36B,69C 'api-connect':18A 'api-gateway':21B 'attack':52B,78C 'connect':3A,20A,27B,37B,70C 'could':74C 'cve':12A,15A 'due':83C 'entiti':6A,49B,58B,88C 'extern':5A,48B,57B,87C 'flaw':7A 'gateway':23B 'host':33B 'ibm':1A,25B,35B,68C 'ibm-api-connect':24B 'inform':11A,64B,82C 'inject':60B,90C 'input':44B 'leak':8A 'obtain':62B,80C 'on-prem':28B 'prem':30B 'process':42B 'refer':47B 'remot':51B,77C 'self':32B 'self-host':31B 'sensit':9A,63B,81C 'server':10A,67B 'use':54B 'vendor':34B 'version':38B 'xml':4A,43B,56B,86C 'xxe':59B,89C","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":"Teams running self-managed IBM API Connect V12 (OnPrem) 12.1.0.0 through 12.1.1.2. IBM rates the flaw as network-reachable without a login, so an exposed API Connect deployment is the main concern. IBM's text read so far does not name the XML endpoints or say whether the flaw is on by default. Other versions can skip it.","tier":"B","verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"fix_status":"available","audience":"businesses","plain_action":null,"pkeys":["apiconnect"],"ptokens":["api","connect"],"labels":["apigateway","critical","ibmapiconnect","onprem","selfhosted","vendor"],"campaign_type":null,"search_a":"'-16884':14A,17A '-2026':13A,16A 'api':2A,19A 'api-connect':18A 'connect':3A,20A 'cve':12A,15A 'entiti':6A 'extern':5A 'flaw':7A 'ibm':1A 'inform':11A 'leak':8A 'sensit':9A 'server':10A 'xml':4A","search_b":"'12.1.0.0':39B '12.1.1.2':41B 'api':22B,26B,36B 'api-gateway':21B 'attack':52B 'connect':27B,37B 'entiti':49B,58B 'extern':48B,57B 'gateway':23B 'host':33B 'ibm':25B,35B 'ibm-api-connect':24B 'inform':64B 'inject':60B 'input':44B 'obtain':62B 'on-prem':28B 'prem':30B 'process':42B 'refer':47B 'remot':51B 'self':32B 'self-host':31B 'sensit':63B 'server':67B 'use':54B 'vendor':34B 'version':38B 'xml':43B,56B 'xxe':59B","search_c":"'12.1.0.0':71C '12.1.1.2':73C 'allow':75C 'api':69C 'attack':78C 'connect':70C 'could':74C 'due':83C 'entiti':88C 'extern':87C 'ibm':68C 'inform':82C 'inject':90C 'obtain':80C 'remot':77C 'sensit':81C 'xml':86C 'xxe':89C","first_public_at":"2026-11-07T05:18:22+00:00","kev":null,"cvss_vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L","cvss_by":"psirt@us.ibm.com","poc_count":0,"sources":[{"source":"nvd","external_id":"CVE-2026-16884","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-16884","severity":null,"published_at":"2026-11-07T05:18:22+00:00","modified_at":"2026-11-07T05:18:22+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-11-07T05:45:57+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-11-07T05:45:57+00:00","note":null},{"source":"analyst","external_id":"CVE-2026-16884:1998","url":"https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7295635","severity":null,"published_at":"2026-11-07T06:02:17+00:00","modified_at":"2026-11-07T06:02:17+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-11-07T06:02:17+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-11-07T06:02:17+00:00","note":"NVD/IBM CNA data (via OpenCVE) gives range 12.1.0.0-12.1.1.2 and fix v12.1.1.3, linked to IBM bulletin node/7295635 (summary: addressed in v12.1.1.3). The 78KB bulletin was truncated in my reads, so I did not see the CVE-2026-16884 entry or the workaround section in IBM's own words; pwn.watch (secondary) says IBM lists no workarounds. Nothing marked verified. Endpoints and default-on remain unknown. No exploitation or PoC found. Same bulletin covers 200+ CVEs, so upgrade covers siblings.","cites":["https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7295635","https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7290205","https://app.opencve.io/cve/CVE-2026-16884"]}],"documents":[{"id":92834,"url":"https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7295635","title":"IBM Security Bulletin: Multiple Vulnerabilities in IBM API Connect (v12.1.1.3)","kind":"advisory","source":"analyst","publisher":null,"text":null,"published_at":null,"relation":"advisory","confidence":null,"note":null},{"id":93155,"url":"https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7290205","title":"IBM API Connect v12.1.1.3 is now available","kind":"release","source":"analyst","publisher":null,"text":null,"published_at":null,"relation":"fix","confidence":null,"note":null},{"id":93228,"url":"https://app.opencve.io/cve/CVE-2026-16884","title":"CVE-2026-16884 - OpenCVE (carries IBM vendor solution text)","kind":"other","source":"analyst","publisher":null,"text":null,"published_at":null,"relation":"mentions","confidence":null,"note":null}],"exploit_sources":[],"notice":"Free to read, with fair use of about 60 pages a minute. For higher limits or API access: sales@infrastack.ai"}