CVE-2026-2700

watsonx backend role checks could be bypassed by a low-privilege user

IBM · watsonx Orchestrate with watsonx Assistant Cartridge

First documented disclosure · Review checkpoint

Summary

An ordinary user could perform an administrative function directly through a backend API.

Severity and exploitation evidence

Medium · 4.3/10 · 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

A restriction displayed in the interface was not enforced by the backend’s role checks. IBM classifies this record as improper access control (CWE-284).

Conditions required

An authenticated low-privilege user can reach the backend. IBM’s vector requires no further user interaction.

Potential impact

IBM assesses low integrity impact for this identifier. The bulletin does not say which administrative function was reachable.

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

Apply the same role checks at the service boundary that the interface uses to decide whether to display an action.

Evidence and limits

IBM also assigns CVE-2026-2477 to similar behavior and assesses a different impact. The public bulletin does not distinguish the two endpoints or root causes.

Sources