IBM WebSphere Application Server Admin Console 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, and 9.0 is vulnerable to a potential denial of service, caused by improper par

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

• ibm websphere application server7.0.0.0 and later · up to 7.0.0.45 inclusive
• ibm websphere application server8.0.0.0 and later · up to 8.0.0.15 inclusive
• ibm websphere application server8.5.0.0 and later · up to 8.5.5.15 inclusive
• ibm websphere application server9.0.0.0 and later · up to 9.0.0.10 inclusive

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (ibm). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

• IBM WebSphere Application Server

  • 7.0, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0affected

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

• CVE-2019-4279IBM WebSphere Application Server 8.5 and 9.0 could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the system with a specially-crafted
  63This week
• CVE-2020-4450IBM WebSphere Application Server 8.5 and 9.0 traditional could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the system with a specia
  49Plan
• CVE-2025-36038IBM WebSphere Application Server code execution
  43Plan
• CVE-2020-4448IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment 7.0, 8.0, 8.5, and 9.0 could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the sy
  43Plan
• CVE-2020-4589IBM WebSphere Application Server 7.0, 8.0, 8.5, and 9.0 could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the system with a special
  42Plan
• CVE-2015-1920IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) 6.1 through 6.1.0.47, 7.0 before 7.0.0.39, 8.0 before 8.0.0.11, and 8.5 before 8.5.5.6 allows remote
  42Plan

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Root cause

Code that parses nested structures sets no depth or size limit. A small input can turn into a disproportionate processing load.

A representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.

1function expand(node) {2  return node.children.map(expand);3}

1const MAX_DEPTH = 32;2function expand(node, depth = 0) {3  if (depth > MAX_DEPTH) throw new Error("too deep");4  return node.children.map((c) => expand(c, depth + 1));5}

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.