Summary
CVE-2026-17635 is a missing authentication vulnerability (CWE-306) affecting IBM Financial Transaction Manager (FTM) for Red Hat OpenShift. Due to improper configuration of HTTP method-based security constraints, a remote, unauthenticated attacker can perform unauthorized actions against the application. The flaw carries a Critical CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.1 and requires no privileges or user interaction to exploit.
Technical details
- Root cause: The application’s security constraints enforce authentication only for specific HTTP methods (e.g., GET/POST), leaving other HTTP methods (e.g., PUT, DELETE, or alternate verbs) improperly protected on the same URL paths.
- Trigger conditions: An attacker sends requests using an HTTP method that falls outside the configured security constraint, bypassing the intended access control checks for that endpoint.
- Attack vector: Network — the vulnerable endpoints are reachable remotely and do not require any prior authentication (PR:N) or user interaction (UI:N).
- Impact: Successful exploitation allows an unauthenticated attacker to perform unauthorized actions, resulting in high impact to confidentiality and integrity (data exposure and unauthorized modification); availability is not directly impacted per the CVSS vector.
Affected software
- IBM Financial Transaction Manager (FTM) for Red Hat OpenShift, versions 4.0.6.0 through 4.0.10.0, Interim Fix 064
Severity
- CVSS v3.1 Base Score: 9.1 (Critical)
- Vector:
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
Mitigation and recommended actions
- Immediate: Upgrade IBM Financial Transaction Manager (FTM) for Red Hat OpenShift to version 4.0.11.0 or later, which resolves this issue.
- If unable to patch immediately: IBM has not published a workaround for this specific issue; organizations should restrict network access to FTM management/application endpoints to trusted networks only and monitor for unexpected HTTP methods (e.g., PUT, DELETE, TRACE) directed at application endpoints until the patch can be applied.

