Quick answers
- Is CVE-2026-16338 exploited in the wild?
- No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-16338 being exploited in the wild.
- How severe is CVE-2026-16338?
- Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.9, published 14 September 2026.
- Which products and versions are affected?
- IBM Datastage On Cloud Pak For Data 5.4.0.0.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-16338?
- 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-2026-16338 attacked?
- It is attacked over the network.
- Am I affected by CVE-2026-16338?
- Check whether you run IBM Datastage On Cloud Pak For Data 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
The vulnerability is classified as CWE-73 (External Control of File Name or Path) and results from improper validation of file paths in IBM DataStage. An authenticated attacker with valid credentials can craft malicious file path inputs that bypass path validation checks, allowing arbitrary file writes across the system. The vulnerability requires network access and authentication (PR:L), but has changed scope (S:C), affecting other components or systems. Exploitation enables high-impact integrity compromise, confidentiality violation, and availability impact. IBM has issued patches as part of their Cloud Pak for Data security updates.
Affected products
- IBM DataStage on Cloud Pak for Data 5.4.0.0
Timeline
- 2026-09-14: disclosed