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Security Bulletin: IBM Sterling External Authentication Server is vulnerable to multiple issues

Security Bulletin


Summary

Multiple vulnerabilities affect IBM Sterling External Authentication Server and are addressed in the latest release and fixpack

Vulnerability Details

CVEID:   CVE-2025-48924
DESCRIPTION:   Uncontrolled Recursion vulnerability in Apache Commons Lang. This issue affects Apache Commons Lang: Starting with commons-lang:commons-lang 2.0 to 2.6, and, from org.apache.commons:commons-lang3 3.0 before 3.18.0. The methods ClassUtils.getClass(...) can throw StackOverflowError on very long inputs. Because an Error is usually not handled by applications and libraries, a StackOverflowError could cause an application to stop. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 3.18.0, which fixes the issue.
CWE:   CWE-674: Uncontrolled Recursion
CVSS Source:   CISA ADP
CVSS Base score:   5.3
CVSS Vector:   (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L)

CVEID:   CVE-2025-15284
DESCRIPTION:   Improper Input Validation vulnerability in qs (parse modules) allows HTTP DoS.This issue affects qs: 6.14.1. Summary The arrayLimit option in qs did not enforce limits for bracket notation (a[]=1&a[]=2), only for indexed notation (a[0]=1). This is a consistency bug; arrayLimit should apply uniformly across all array notations. Note: The default parameterLimit of 1000 effectively mitigates the DoS scenario originally described. With default options, bracket notation cannot produce arrays larger than parameterLimit regardless of arrayLimit, because each a[]=valueconsumes one parameter slot. The severity has been reduced accordingly. Details The arrayLimit option only checked limits for indexed notation (a[0]=1&a[1]=2) but did not enforce it for bracket notation (a[]=1&a[]=2). Vulnerable code (lib/parse.js:159-162): if (root === '[]' && options.parseArrays) { obj = utils.combine([], leaf); // No arrayLimit check } Working code (lib/parse.js:175): else if (index = options.arrayLimit) { // Limit checked here obj = []; obj[index] = leaf; } The bracket notation handler at line 159 uses utils.combine([], leaf) without validating against options.arrayLimit, while indexed notation at line 175 checks index = options.arrayLimit before creating arrays. PoC const qs = require('qs'); const result = qs.parse('a[]=1&a[]=2&a[]=3&a[]=4&a[]=5&a[]=6', { arrayLimit: 5 }); console.log(result.a.length); // Output: 6 (should be max 5) Note on parameterLimit interaction: The original advisory's "DoS demonstration" claimed a length of 10,000, but parameterLimit (default: 1000) caps parsing to 1,000 parameters. With default options, the actual output is 1,000, not 10,000. Impact Consistency bug in arrayLimit enforcement. With default parameterLimit, the practical DoS risk is negligible since parameterLimit already caps the total number of parsed parameters (and thus array elements from bracket notation). The risk increases only when parameterLimit is explicitly set to a very high value.
CWE:   CWE-20: Improper Input Validation
CVSS Source:   harborist
CVSS Base score:   3.7
CVSS Vector:   (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L)

CVEID:   CVE-2025-64756
DESCRIPTION:   Glob matches files using patterns the shell uses. Starting in version 10.2.0 and prior to versions 10.5.0 and 11.1.0, the glob CLI contains a command injection vulnerability in its -c/--cmd option that allows arbitrary command execution when processing files with malicious names. When glob -c command patterns are used, matched filenames are passed to a shell with shell: true, enabling shell metacharacters in filenames to trigger command injection and achieve arbitrary code execution under the user or CI account privileges. This issue has been patched in versions 10.5.0 and 11.1.0.
CWE:   CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
CVSS Source:   security-advisories@github.com
CVSS Base score:   7.5
CVSS Vector:   (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)

CVEID:   CVE-2025-8885
DESCRIPTION:   Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling vulnerability in Legion of the Bouncy Castle Inc. BC Java bcprov on All (API modules), Legion of the Bouncy Castle Inc. BC-FJA bc-fips on All allows Excessive Allocation. This vulnerability is associated with program files https://github.com/bcgit/bc-java/blob/main/core/src/main/java/org/bounc…... https://github.com/bcgit/bc-java/blob/main/core/src/main/java/org/bounc… . This issue affects BC Java: from 1.0 through 1.77; BC-FJA: from 1.0.0 through 1.0.2.5, from 2.0.0 through 2.0.1.
CWE:   CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling
CVSS Source:   bcorg
CVSS Base score:   6.3
CVSS Vector:   (CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N)

CVEID:   CVE-2025-8916
DESCRIPTION:   Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling vulnerability in Legion of the Bouncy Castle Inc. BC Java bcpkix on All (API modules), Legion of the Bouncy Castle Inc. BC Java bcprov on All (API modules), Legion of the Bouncy Castle Inc. BCPKIX FIPS bcpkix-fips on All (API modules) allows Excessive Allocation. This vulnerability is associated with program files https://github.Com/bcgit/bc-java/blob/main/pkix/src/main/java/org/bounc…, https://github.Com/bcgit/bc-java/blob/main/prov/src/main/java/org/bounc…. This issue affects BC Java: from 1.44 through 1.78; BC Java: from 1.44 through 1.78; BCPKIX FIPS: from 1.0.0 through 1.0.7, from 2.0.0 through 2.0.7.
CWE:   CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling
CVSS Source:   NVD
CVSS Base score:   6.3
CVSS Vector:   (CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:P/AU:X/R:U/V:X/RE:M/U:Amber)

CVEID:   CVE-2025-58754
DESCRIPTION:   Axios is a promise based HTTP client for the browser and Node.js. When Axios starting in version 0.28.0 and prior to versions 0.30.2 and 1.12.0 runs on Node.js and is given a URL with the `data:` scheme, it does not perform HTTP. Instead, its Node http adapter decodes the entire payload into memory (`Buffer`/`Blob`) and returns a synthetic 200 response. This path ignores `maxContentLength` / `maxBodyLength` (which only protect HTTP responses), so an attacker can supply a very large `data:` URI and cause the process to allocate unbounded memory and crash (DoS), even if the caller requested `responseType: 'stream'`. Versions 0.30.2 and 1.12.0 contain a patch for the issue.
CWE:   CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling
CVSS Source:   security-advisories@github.com
CVSS Base score:   7.5
CVSS Vector:   (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H)

CVEID:   CVE-2025-66030
DESCRIPTION:   Forge (also called `node-forge`) is a native implementation of Transport Layer Security in JavaScript. An Integer Overflow vulnerability in node-forge versions 1.3.1 and below enables remote, unauthenticated attackers to craft ASN.1 structures containing OIDs with oversized arcs. These arcs may be decoded as smaller, trusted OIDs due to 32-bit bitwise truncation, enabling the bypass of downstream OID-based security decisions. This issue has been patched in version 1.3.2.
CWE:   CWE-190: Integer Overflow or Wraparound
CVSS Source:   NVD
CVSS Base score:   5.3
CVSS Vector:   (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N)

CVEID:   CVE-2025-66031
DESCRIPTION:   Forge (also called `node-forge`) is a native implementation of Transport Layer Security in JavaScript. An Uncontrolled Recursion vulnerability in node-forge versions 1.3.1 and below enables remote, unauthenticated attackers to craft deep ASN.1 structures that trigger unbounded recursive parsing. This leads to a Denial-of-Service (DoS) via stack exhaustion when parsing untrusted DER inputs. This issue has been patched in version 1.3.2.
CWE:   CWE-674: Uncontrolled Recursion
CVSS Source:   NVD
CVSS Base score:   7.5
CVSS Vector:   (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H)

CVEID:   CVE-2025-12816
DESCRIPTION:   An interpretation-conflict (CWE-436) vulnerability in node-forge versions 1.3.1 and earlier enables unauthenticated attackers to craft ASN.1 structures to desynchronize schema validations, yielding a semantic divergence that may bypass downstream cryptographic verifications and security decisions.
CWE:   CWE-436: Interpretation Conflict
CVSS Source:   CISA ADP
CVSS Base score:   8.6
CVSS Vector:   (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N)

Affected Products and Versions

Affected Product(s)Version(s)
IBM Sterling External Authentication Server6.1.0.0 - 6.1.0.3
IBM Sterling External Authentication Server6.1.1.0

Remediation/Fixes

ProductAffected Version(s)Fixed-in Version(s)Remediation/Fix
IBM Sterling External Authentication Server6.1.0.0 - 6.1.0.36.1.0.4 GAFix Central
IBM Sterling External Authentication Server6.1.1.06.1.1.1 GAFix Central

 

IBM strongly advises upgrading as soon as possible.

Workarounds and Mitigations

None

Get Notified about Future Security Bulletins

References

Off

Acknowledgement

Change History

17 Feb 2026: Initial Publication

*The CVSS Environment Score is customer environment specific and will ultimately impact the Overall CVSS Score. Customers can evaluate the impact of this vulnerability in their environments by accessing the links in the Reference section of this Security Bulletin.

Disclaimer

According to the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) is an "industry open standard designed to convey vulnerability severity and help to determine urgency and priority of response." IBM PROVIDES THE CVSS SCORES ""AS IS"" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. CUSTOMERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF ANY ACTUAL OR POTENTIAL SECURITY VULNERABILITY. In addition to other efforts to address potential vulnerabilities, IBM periodically updates the record of components contained in our product offerings. As part of that effort, if IBM identifies previously unidentified packages in a product/service inventory, we address relevant vulnerabilities regardless of CVE date. Inclusion of an older CVEID does not demonstrate that the referenced product has been used by IBM since that date, nor that IBM was aware of a vulnerability as of that date. We are making clients aware of relevant vulnerabilities as we become aware of them. "Affected Products and Versions" referenced in IBM Security Bulletins are intended to be only products and versions that are supported by IBM and have not passed their end-of-support or warranty date. Thus, failure to reference unsupported or extended-support products and versions in this Security Bulletin does not constitute a determination by IBM that they are unaffected by the vulnerability. Reference to one or more unsupported versions in this Security Bulletin shall not create an obligation for IBM to provide fixes for any unsupported or extended-support products or versions.

Document Location

Worldwide

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Document Information

Modified date:
17 February 2026

Initial Publish date:
17 February 2026

UID

ibm17261039