CVE-2026-13772
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedIBM WebSphere Extreme Scale 8.6.1.0 through 8.6.1.6 's Object Query Language engine resolves attacker-supplied class names via Class.forName() and invokes their constructors with no allow-list at three distinct sinks (SELECT NEW, enum literals, and reflection-based comparators); an authenticated remote attacker who can influence an application-built OQL query string can execute arbitrary constructors on the WAS JVM, and a SELECT DISTINCT variant using planted grid values fires the same gadget post-readObject in a manner that survives JEP-290 serialization filters across grid node boundaries
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceIBM WebSphere Extreme Scale 8.6.1.0-8.6.1.6 contains a critical deserialization flaw in its Object Query Language engine. The OQL parser resolves attacker-supplied class names via Class.forName() and invokes constructors without any allow-list at three distinct sinks (SELECT NEW, enum literals, and reflection-based comparators). Authenticated attackers influencing OQL queries can execute arbitrary constructors on the JVM. A SELECT DISTINCT variant exploiting planted grid values triggers the same gadget post-readObject in a way that bypasses JEP-290 serialization filters across grid node boundaries.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data>= 8.6.1.0, <= 8.6.1.6CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed IBM WebSphere Extreme Scale versionRun the version command or inspect the product installation directory to retrieve the exact version number (e.g., look for version.info, product version from the installation manifest, or use the version command specific to the installation method)Affected if The installed version is 8.6.1.0 through 8.6.1.6 inclusive
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Determine if OQL engine is accessibleInspect the configuration files (such as the deployment descriptor or security policy files) to verify whether the Object Query Language feature is enabled and accessible to application usersAffected if OQL is enabled and accessible to untrusted or insufficiently trusted authenticated users
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Review OQL query logs for suspicious patternsExamine the application logs, trace files, or OQL-specific query logs for incoming queries that contain Class.forName references, constructor invocations, or unusual NEW keywords in SELECT statementsAffected if Logs contain OQL queries that reference arbitrary class names, invoke constructors, or use SELECT NEW syntax with unexpected class literals
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Check for anomalous grid data or serialization behaviorInspect grid data stores, entry values, or serialization audit logs for unexpected planted values that could indicate pre-exploitation staging, particularly in conjunction with SELECT DISTINCT operationsAffected if Grid contains suspicious planted values or serialization anomalies coinciding with OQL query activity
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Monitor for outbound JVM constructor callsReview JVM-level instrumentation, serialization filter logs, or network telemetry for unexpected constructor executions or class loading events initiated by the OQL engineAffected if The OQL engine is invoking arbitrary constructors or loading classes not intended for query operations
You are affected if IBM WebSphere Extreme Scale version 8.6.1.0-8.6.1.6 is installed and the OQL engine is accessible to users who should not be trusted with arbitrary class instantiation capability.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scopedUpgrade to IBM WebSphere Extreme Scale version 8.6.1.7 or later. If immediate upgrade is not possible, restrict OQL query access to trusted authenticated users only and monitor for suspicious query patterns.
8.6.1.7 or later (verify with IBM)
- 1. Contact IBM Support or visit IBM's official security bulletin page to obtain the specific fixed release for this vulnerability
- 2. Verify the current WebSphere Extreme Scale version in your environment using the version command or administrative console
- 3. Plan upgrade during a maintenance window with appropriate rollback procedures
- 4. After upgrading, review and restrict OQL query permissions to minimize the attack surface
- 5. Validate that the Class.forName() behavior is now properly restricted with allow-listing
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation16.0 h
- Implementation40.0 h
- Testing24.0 h
- Review / QA12.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $25,856.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-13772 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-13772 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data