CVE-2026-2477

watsonx administrative endpoints lacked server-side authorization

IBM · watsonx Orchestrate with watsonx Assistant Cartridge

First documented disclosure · Review checkpoint

Summary

A low-privilege user could invoke administrative functions that the watsonx interface restricted.

Severity and exploitation evidence

Medium · 6.5/10 · CVSS 3.1. Severity source.

Exploitation not established: The reviewed public disclosures do not report exploitation in the wild.

Exploitation evidence source

Technical severity is not a measure of observed attacks or of risk to your deployment. Attempts, demonstrations, and successful compromise retain the qualifications in the source.

How the weakness works

Backend API handlers omitted authorization checks the interface appeared to enforce. IBM classifies this record as missing authorization (CWE-862).

Conditions required

The caller is authenticated with low privileges and can reach the affected administrative API.

Potential impact

The caller could carry out privileged operations. IBM rates integrity impact high for this identifier.

Affected versions and configurations

IBM lists 4.8.4 through 4.8.5 and 5.0.0 through 5.4.2.

Fix and mitigation status

5.4.4.

Practical next steps

Upgrade to watsonx Orchestrate Cartridge 5.4.4. IBM lists no workaround.

Operating lesson

Check administrative privileges on every service endpoint even when the interface hides the action.

Evidence and limits

IBM also assigns CVE-2026-2700 to similar behavior in the same bulletin. It does not name separate endpoints or establish two independent mechanisms.

Sources