CVE-2026-13297: IBM Verify Identity Access Information Disclosure

CVE-2026-13297 Overview

IBM Verify Identity Access Advanced Access Control contains an information disclosure vulnerability that allows remote, unauthenticated attackers to obtain sensitive data over the network. The flaw is categorized under [CWE-1336] (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements Used in a Template Engine), indicating that untrusted input reaches template processing logic and exposes internal data. IBM disclosed the issue in a support advisory published in September 2026.

Critical Impact
Remote attackers can retrieve confidential information from the affected IBM Verify Identity Access component without authentication or user interaction.

Affected Products

IBM Verify Identity Access Advanced Access Control

Discovery Timeline

2026-09-04 - CVE-2026-13297 published to NVD
2026-09-08 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-13297

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2026-13297 affects IBM Verify Identity Access Advanced Access Control, an identity and access management component used to enforce authentication and authorization policies. The vulnerability enables unauthenticated remote attackers to read sensitive information from the affected system over the network.

The issue is classified as [CWE-1336], covering improper neutralization of special elements used in a template engine. Template engine flaws typically arise when user-controlled input is embedded into templates that are later rendered server-side. Attackers can craft inputs that alter template evaluation and expose data outside the intended rendering scope.

Exploitation does not require authentication or user interaction. Confidentiality is impacted; integrity and availability remain unaffected according to the CVSS vector.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of special characters processed by a template engine within Advanced Access Control. When attacker-supplied values are passed to template evaluation without sufficient sanitization, the engine may resolve expressions that reveal internal variables, configuration values, or session data. IBM has not published the specific template subsystem or affected endpoint in the public advisory summary.

Attack Vector

A remote attacker sends crafted HTTP requests to an exposed Advanced Access Control interface. The request contains payload characters interpreted by the server-side template engine. When the engine renders the response, sensitive data is included in the output returned to the attacker. No credentials, privileges, or user interaction are required.

No public proof-of-concept code is available at the time of publication. Refer to the IBM Support Article for vendor technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-13297

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected HTTP requests containing template-engine syntax such as ${...}, {{...}}, or #{...} sent to IBM Verify Identity Access endpoints.
HTTP responses from Advanced Access Control containing internal configuration values, environment variables, or object references not normally exposed to clients.
Anomalous outbound traffic from Verify Identity Access hosts following crafted inbound requests.

Detection Strategies

Inspect web application firewall and reverse proxy logs for template expression patterns targeting Advanced Access Control URIs.
Correlate request payloads with response sizes to identify requests that return unusually large or structurally different responses.
Baseline normal Advanced Access Control traffic and alert on deviations in URI parameters, headers, or POST body content.

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose access logging on the Verify Identity Access reverse proxy and forward logs to a centralized analytics platform.
Monitor authentication and policy-enforcement endpoints for unauthenticated requests generating successful responses containing internal data patterns.
Track access patterns from single source addresses issuing repeated malformed or template-syntax-laden requests.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-13297

Immediate Actions Required

Review the IBM Support Article and apply the fixed release identified by IBM for Verify Identity Access Advanced Access Control.
Restrict network exposure of Advanced Access Control interfaces to trusted management networks where operationally feasible.
Audit recent access logs for suspicious requests containing template expression syntax targeting the affected component.

Patch Information

IBM has published remediation guidance in its support portal. Administrators should consult the IBM Support Article for the exact fixed versions, interim fixes, and upgrade instructions applicable to their deployment.

Workarounds

Deploy web application firewall rules that block requests containing common template engine metacharacters directed at Advanced Access Control endpoints.
Place Advanced Access Control behind an authenticating reverse proxy to reduce unauthenticated network exposure until the patch is applied.
Increase logging verbosity and alert thresholds on the affected component to detect exploitation attempts during the remediation window.

bash

# Example WAF rule concept - block template expression syntax in query strings
# Adapt to your WAF vendor syntax before deployment
SecRule ARGS "@rx (\$\{|\{\{|#\{).*\}" \
  "id:1013297,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'Possible CVE-2026-13297 template injection attempt'"