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CVE-2026-14525 – Authentication Bypass – IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty 17.0.0.3 through 2

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Summary

CVE-2026-14525 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability (CWE-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function) affecting IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty. The flaw is present when the rtcomm-1.0 or rtcommGateway-1.0 Real-Time Communications features are enabled, and it carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.4 (Critical).

Technical details

  • Root cause: missing authentication enforcement for a critical function within Liberty’s Real-Time Communications components.
  • Trigger condition: the vulnerability only applies to Liberty instances that have the rtcomm-1.0 or rtcommGateway-1.0 feature enabled.
  • Attack vector: network-based, no privileges and no user interaction required, low attack complexity.
  • Impact: high confidentiality impact, high integrity impact, low availability impact — consistent with an unauthenticated attacker gaining access to functionality that should require authentication.

Affected software

  • IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty versions 17.0.0.3 through 26.0.0.8 (when the rtcomm-1.0 or rtcommGateway-1.0 feature is enabled).

Severity

  • CVSS v3.1 Base Score: 9.4 (Critical)
  • Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L

Mitigation and recommended actions

  • Immediate: Apply the interim fix for APAR DT496165, or upgrade to WebSphere Application Server Liberty Fix Pack 26.0.0.9 or later once available (targeted 3Q2026).
  • If no patch can be applied immediately: Identify whether the rtcomm-1.0 or rtcommGateway-1.0 features are enabled in your Liberty server configuration; if they are not required, disable them to remove the exposure until the fix can be applied.

How IONIX identifies potentially affected assets

IONIX matches the following signals against data already collected when it crawled the asset; identifying the technology sends no request beyond that crawl.

  • Page title: WebSphere Liberty (with or without a trailing version number)

References

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How IONIX’s External Exposure Management Platform Detects and Validates
Zero-Days to Shrink MTTR

1

Map your entire attack surface (continously)

IONIX uses multi-factor discovery methods, including DNS analysis, certificate mapping, metadata inspection, and more, to automatically map every internet-facing asset across your environment. This includes cloud instances, third-party platforms, shadow IT, and even forgotten infrastructure that traditional tools miss.

2

Monitor for new CVEs

Dozens of threat intel feeds using agentic technology are continuously analyzed to detect the appearance of proof-of-concept code, exploit kits, and indicators of active targeting. IONIX goes further by applying AI to proactively evaluate whether emerging vulnerabilities are likely to be exploited, even before PoCs go public.

3

Identify Potential External Exposures

Not all CVEs matter. IONIX filters vulnerabilities by asking attacker-centric questions: Can it be reached from the internet? Does it require authentication? Is it being exploited in the wild? This dramatically reduces noise and focuses teams on threats that can actually be weaponized.

4

Create Safe, Scalable Exploit Validations

IONIX transforms real-world PoCs into safe, non-intrusive test payloads that can be run in production environments without disruption. These simulations are precisely targeted to the systems that are vulnerable, ensuring rapid validation without unnecessary load.

5

Execute Exploit Validations

By combining context about software stack, versioning, exposure status, and reachability, IONIX ensures that only the right payloads are executed against the right assets, maximizing efficiency and minimizing risk.

6

Drive Fast and Actionable Remediation

Results are routed through integrations with ticketing, SOAR, and SIEM tools. Issues are written in plain language, bundled into remediation clusters, and prioritized based on asset criticality, exploitability, and blast radius. This shortens mean time to remediation (MTTR) and empowers teams to act with confidence.

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  • Mapping of all Assets with this Technology
  • Identification of potentially exposed assets to this CVE
  • Confirmation of verified exploitable assets
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