Security Bulletin
Summary
follow-redirects is used by IBM Optim as part of its front-end user interface (Optim UI) to handle HTTP and HTTPS redirect chains in the browser. CVE-2026-40895 is an information disclosure vulnerability in follow-redirects prior to version 1.16.0, where custom authentication headers (e.g., X-API-Key, X-Auth-Token) are forwarded verbatim to cross-domain redirect targets, potentially exposing sensitive credentials to unauthorized actors. IBM Optim 2.0.0 resolves this vulnerability.
Vulnerability Details
CVEID: CVE-2026-40895
DESCRIPTION: follow-redirects is an open source, drop-in replacement for Node's `http` and `https` modules that automatically follows redirects. Prior to 1.16.0, when an HTTP request follows a cross-domain redirect (301/302/307/308), follow-redirects only strips authorization, proxy-authorization, and cookie headers (matched by regex at index.js). Any custom authentication header (e.g., X-API-Key, X-Auth-Token, Api-Key, Token) is forwarded verbatim to the redirect target. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.16.0.
CWE: CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
CVSS Source: NVD
CVSS Base score: 7.5
CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N)
Affected Products and Versions
| Affected Product(s) | Version(s) |
| IBM Optim | 1.0.0 |
| IBM Optim | 1.1.0 |
| IBM Optim | 1.2.0 |
Remediation/Fixes
Move to IBM Optim 2.0.0, which resolves this vulnerability. The following package has been upgraded from its vulnerable version to the patched version:
follow-redirects — upgraded from 1.15.9 (Optim 1.0.0, 1.1.0) / 1.15.11 (Optim 1.2.0) → 1.16.0, resolving CVE-2026-40895.
Available from https://www.ibm.com/software/passportadvantage/pao-customer
Workarounds and Mitigations
None
Get Notified about Future Security Bulletins
References
Acknowledgement
Change History
21 Sep 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:
21 September 2026
Initial Publish date:
21 September 2026
UID
ibm17288669