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CVE-2026-80441 – Unauthenticated SQL Injection (RCE risk) – IBM Guardium Data Protection 12.2

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Summary

CVE-2026-80441 is an unauthenticated, second-order SQL injection vulnerability in the generateInsertQuery functionality of the change-tracker component in IBM Guardium Data Protection 12.2. A remote, unauthenticated attacker can inject malicious SQL that is stored and later executed, potentially compromising the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the underlying database and application. The flaw carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (Critical).

Technical details

  • Root cause: The generateInsertQuery function used by the change-tracker component fails to properly neutralize special elements in attacker-supplied input before using it to build SQL statements (CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command).
  • Second-order nature: The malicious input is not executed immediately; it is first stored by the application and later incorporated into a dynamically generated SQL query, making the injection a "second-order" (stored) SQL injection.
  • Trigger conditions: No authentication or user interaction is required. An attacker only needs network access to the vulnerable Guardium Data Protection interface/service.
  • Attack vector: Network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N).
  • Impact: Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized read/write/delete of data, manipulation of stored records, and potential downstream compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H) of the Guardium database backend.
  • This CVE was disclosed as part of a larger IBM security bulletin covering multiple vulnerabilities in Guardium Data Protection 12.2, several of which are also unauthenticated and critical.

Affected software

  • IBM Guardium Data Protection 12.2 (CPE: cpe:2.3:a:ibm:guardium_data_protection:12.2:::::::* and 12.2.0)

Severity

  • CVSS v3.1 Base Score: 9.8 (Critical)
  • Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Mitigation and recommended actions

  • Immediate: Apply the IBM-provided fix pack SqlGuard_12.0p233_FixPack for Guardium Data Protection 12.2, available via IBM Support/Fix Central.
  • If immediate patching is not possible: IBM has not documented a workaround for this vulnerability. Restrict network access to the Guardium Data Protection management interfaces and affected services to trusted administrative networks only, and monitor for anomalous change-tracker/database activity until the fix pack can be applied.
  • Review IBM’s related security bulletin, as this fix pack also addresses multiple other critical, unauthenticated vulnerabilities disclosed alongside CVE-2026-80441 in the same Guardium Data Protection 12.2 release.

References

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