# CVE-2026-16188: IBM WebSphere Application Server prior to 9.0.5.29 and 8.5.5.31 are affected by multiple vulnerabilities

> Remote attackers can inject forged entries into the administrative log of IBM WebSphere Application Server, compromising log integrity.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 14 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 14 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5ph6-9jx4-5cq2

## What is CVE-2026-16188?

CVE-2026-16188 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM WebSphere Application Server, published on 14 Sep 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM WebSphere Application Server 9.0, and 8.5 could allow a remote attacker to inject forged log entries into the server's administrative log.

Weakness: CWE-117 (Improper Output Neutralization for Logs)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-16188?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-16188?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-16188 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-16188 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-16188 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-16188 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-16188 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM WebSphere Application Server, published on 14 Sep 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-16188 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM WebSphere Application Server. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-16188/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-16188/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-16188
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-16188
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-16188

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-16188/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.