A critical default-credentials flaw in IBM ContextForge MCP Gateway 1.0.0 through 1.0.7 could allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to gain administrative access, rated CVSS 9.8.
What Is It
CVE-2026-78573 is a use-of-default-credentials vulnerability (CWE-1392) in IBM ContextForge MCP Gateway. Per IBM's advisory data, versions 1.0.0 through 1.0.7 "could allow a remote attacker to gain administrative access due to the use of default credentials." Based on that description, no exploit chain or privilege escalation step appears to be required against deployments that still have the shipped defaults in place; on those systems, the credentials are simply there.
The CVSS v3.1 vector is CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H: network-reachable, low attack complexity, no privileges, no user interaction, with high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Exploitability subscore is 3.9; the maximum. The record was published 2026-09-10 by IBM PSIRT and currently carries NVD status "Received."
Why It Matters
A 9.8 with no privileges and no user interaction means the bar for exploitation is low: on an unhardened deployment, it may amount to little more than locating an exposed instance. Administrative access to an MCP gateway would not be a contained compromise: the gateway brokers model-context connections, so admin control over it puts whatever tools, data sources, and downstream systems it fronts within the attacker's reach.
The supplied source material contains no evidence of active exploitation in the wild. That status can change; treat the current quiet as a timing detail, not an all-clear.
What's Vulnerable
- Vendor: IBM
- Product: ContextForge MCP Gateway
- Affected versions: 1.0.0 through 1.0.7 (semver range, inclusive)
CPEs listed in the record: cpe:2.3:a:ibm:contextforge_mcp_gateway:1.0.0 and cpe:2.3:a:ibm:contextforge_mcp_gateway:1.0.7.
Patch Status
The NVD record references a single IBM support advisory (node 7286834) but does not name a fixed version. Operators should consult the IBM advisory directly for fix availability. In the meantime, the defect class dictates the obvious interim step: rotate any default administrative credentials on deployed gateways and restrict network exposure of the management interface.
Sources
- IBM Support Advisory; https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7286834
- NVD, CVE-2026-78573, https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-78573