CVE-2026-5515: IBM App Connect Enterprise Info Disclosure

CVE-2026-5515 Overview

CVE-2026-5515 is an information disclosure vulnerability in IBM App Connect Enterprise versions 13.0.1.0 through 13.0.7.0. The product writes potentially sensitive information to log files that a local user can read. An attacker with local access and low privileges can harvest this data without user interaction. The flaw affects confidentiality but does not impact integrity or availability of the underlying system.

Critical Impact

A local authenticated user can read sensitive data written to IBM App Connect Enterprise log files, exposing information that may aid further compromise.

Affected Products

• IBM App Connect Enterprise 13.0.1.0
• IBM App Connect Enterprise versions 13.0.2.0 through 13.0.6.0
• IBM App Connect Enterprise 13.0.7.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-05-27 - CVE-2026-5515 published to NVD
• 2026-05-27 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-5515

Vulnerability Analysis

IBM App Connect Enterprise is an integration platform used to connect applications, data sources, and APIs across hybrid environments. The product generates operational and diagnostic logs to support troubleshooting and auditing. In affected versions, log handlers write sensitive information into these files without adequate redaction or access controls.

A local user with read access to the log directory can review log contents and recover the sensitive material. The issue is classified as information disclosure ([CWE-532] insertion of sensitive information into log file). Exposed content may include configuration data, credentials, tokens, or integration payloads that downstream attackers can reuse against connected systems.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper handling of sensitive data during logging operations. Application components emit verbose diagnostic output that includes values that should be masked or omitted. File system permissions on the resulting log files allow any local user account on the host to open and read the content.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires local access to a system running IBM App Connect Enterprise 13.0.1.0 through 13.0.7.0. The attacker authenticates as a low-privileged local user and reads the log files generated by the integration server. No user interaction or additional privilege escalation is required to retrieve the exposed information. The harvested data can then be used to pivot to integrated applications, brokers, or data sources referenced by the App Connect flows.

No verified public proof-of-concept code is available for this issue. See the IBM Support Page for vendor-specific technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-5515

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected read access to IBM App Connect Enterprise log directories by non-administrative local accounts.
• Local accounts copying, archiving, or exfiltrating files from the integration server log paths.
• Log entries containing cleartext credentials, tokens, connection strings, or message payloads that should be masked.

Detection Strategies

• Audit file system access events on the App Connect Enterprise installation and log directories to identify unauthorized read operations.
• Scan existing log files for patterns matching credentials, API keys, or sensitive payload fields and flag matches for review.
• Correlate local logon events with subsequent access to integration server log paths to surface reconnaissance behavior.

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable file integrity and access monitoring on App Connect Enterprise log directories across all hosts.
• Forward host audit logs and file access telemetry to a centralized analytics platform for retention and search.
• Alert on local user accounts reading log files outside of approved operational workflows or maintenance windows.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-5515

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the fix referenced in the IBM Support Page for IBM App Connect Enterprise 13.0.1.0 through 13.0.7.0.
• Rotate any credentials, tokens, or secrets that may have been written to existing log files on affected hosts.
• Restrict file system permissions on log directories so that only the App Connect service account and administrators can read them.
• Purge or securely archive historical log files that contain exposed sensitive data after credential rotation.

Patch Information

IBM has published remediation guidance for affected versions of App Connect Enterprise 13. Review the vendor advisory at the IBM Support Page and apply the recommended fix pack or interim fix to all integration nodes running versions 13.0.1.0 through 13.0.7.0.

Workarounds

• Reduce log verbosity in App Connect Enterprise flows and node configurations to avoid emitting sensitive field values.
• Apply strict directory and file ACLs that limit log access to the service account and a defined administrator group.
• Enable host-level access controls and centralized log forwarding so local copies can be removed after ingestion.

# Configuration example
# Restrict access to IBM App Connect Enterprise log directories on Linux
chown -R aceuser:acegroup /var/mqsi/components/<integration_node>/log
chmod -R 750 /var/mqsi/components/<integration_node>/log
find /var/mqsi -type f -name "*.log" -exec chmod 640 {} \;