Quick answers
- Is CVE-2026-16185 exploited in the wild?
- No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-16185 being exploited in the wild.
- How severe is CVE-2026-16185?
- Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 6.4, published 14 September 2026.
- Which products and versions are affected?
- IBM WebSphere Application Server 8.5 before 8.5.5.31, 9.0 before 9.0.5.29.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-16185?
- No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.
- How is CVE-2026-16185 attacked?
- It is attacked from the adjacent network, in a hosted service.
- Am I affected by CVE-2026-16185?
- Check whether you run IBM WebSphere Application Server at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.
Technical details
CVE-2026-16185 is an authentication bypass vulnerability (CWE-862: Missing Authorization) affecting the admin console servlet in IBM WebSphere Application Server. The vulnerability requires adjacent network access and specific conditions (AC:H), but allows an unauthenticated attacker to gain access without valid credentials. An attacker can exploit this to access sensitive administrative functions, potentially leading to information disclosure, configuration changes, and service disruption. Patches are available in versions 9.0.5.29 and later, and 8.5.5.31 and later.
Affected products
- IBM WebSphere Application Server 8.5 before 8.5.5.31, 9.0 before 9.0.5.29
Timeline
- 2026-09-14: disclosed