Security Bulletin
Summary
IBM Documentation Offline is a desktop application that bundles an Electron-based viewer and an embedded Node.js web server to serve product documentation locally on the user's workstation. Multiple vulnerabilities have been identified in the embedded server component spanning three weakness categories. Information Disclosure: Two vulnerabilities could allow a network-adjacent attacker to obtain information. The embedded server bound its network sockets to all available network interfaces rather than restricting them to the local loopback address. Additionally, insufficient restriction on file-path input could allow an attacker to read files outside the intended documentation directory. Session Integrity: The embedded server uses a hardcoded session secret by default. An attacker with access to the service could forge structurally valid session tokens and manipulate client-side state. Arbitrary Code Execution: Two related vulnerabilities could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code within the privilege context of the desktop application. The first involves improper neutralization of log output. The second involves external control of a file path supplied to the server's template engine.
Vulnerability Details
CVEID: CVE-2026-17482
DESCRIPTION: IBM Documentation could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code due to improper control of file paths.
CWE: CWE-73: External Control of File Name or Path
CVSS Source: IBM
CVSS Base score: 9.8
CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)
CVEID: CVE-2026-16713
DESCRIPTION: IBM Documentation could allow a remote attacker to obtain sensitive information due to a security misconfiguration where the documentation server binds to an unrestricted IP address.
CWE: CWE-1327: Binding to an Unrestricted IP Address
CVSS Source: IBM
CVSS Base score: 4.3
CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N)
CVEID: CVE-2026-17468
DESCRIPTION: IBM Documentation could allow a remote attacker to forge valid session tokens due to the use of a hardcoded cryptographic key.
CWE: CWE-321: Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key
CVSS Source: IBM
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-2026-17481
DESCRIPTION: IBM Documentation could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code due to improper output neutralization for logs.
CWE: CWE-117: Improper Output Neutralization for Logs
CVSS Source: IBM
CVSS Base score: 8.8
CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)
CVEID: CVE-2026-17473
DESCRIPTION: IBM Documentation could allow a remote attacker to read arbitrary files due to improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory.
CWE: CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CVSS Source: IBM
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 Documentation Offline | 1.0.0 - 1.4.1 |
Remediation/Fixes
IBM strongly recommends addressing the vulnerability now.
| Product(s) | Version(s) number and/or range | Remediation/Fix/Instructions |
| IBM Documentation Offline | 1.0.0 - 1.4.1 | Download and install latest release (1.5.1) |
Workarounds and Mitigations
None
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References
Review this information as needed, no action required.
Acknowledgement
Change History
13 Aug 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:
13 August 2026
Initial Publish date:
13 August 2026
UID
ibm17283484