{
 "public_id": "AIR-2026-0259",
 "incident_id": "2026-09-ibm-contextforge-jq-env-token-forgery",
 "date_disclosed": "2026-09-04",
 "title": "CVE-2026-18486: ContextForge jq filter exposes server environment secrets, enabling forged administrator tokens",
 "attack_surface": "mcp_server",
 "initial_vector": "authenticated_developer_tool_configuration",
 "agent_capability_abused": [
  "tool_jsonpath_filter",
  "jq_program_execution"
 ],
 "target_product": "IBM ContextForge MCP Gateway",
 "target_vendor": "IBM",
 "autonomy_level": "assistant",
 "impact_realized": false,
 "impact_type": [
  "credential_exposure",
  "privilege_escalation"
 ],
 "blast_radius": "ContextForge MCP Gateway up to v1.0.7",
 "cve": [
  "CVE-2026-18486"
 ],
 "fix_shipped": "v1.0.8; IBM also advises rotating JWT_SECRET_KEY, AUTH_ENCRYPTION_SECRET, DATABASE_URL, REDIS_URL and BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD on earlier deployments",
 "primary_sources": [
  "https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7286052",
  "https://api.osv.dev/v1/vulns/CVE-2026-18486"
 ],
 "confidence": "high",
 "notes": "IBM bulletin (CVSS 8.8): a user with developer privileges can supply a jq program in a tool's filter field that runs unrestricted built-ins such as the environment accessor inside the server process, exposing keys and database credentials that can be used to forge administrator tokens. The OSV record shows publication on 2026-09-04, which is used as the disclosure date. No exploitation is reported. Different mechanism and advisory from the default-credentials record.",
 "verified_quote": "MCP Context Forge could allow a remote authenticated attacker to obtain sensitive credentials and escalate privileges due to improper validation of jq filters.",
 "class": "responsible_disclosure",
 "date_occurred": null,
 "defense_present": null,
 "defense_bypassed": true,
 "taxonomy": {
  "owasp_asi": [
   "ASI03"
  ],
  "mitre_atlas": [],
  "labels": [
   "jq_injection",
   "secret_exposure",
   "token_forgery",
   "mcp_gateway"
  ]
 },
 "risk_category": "security_fraud",
 "risk_secondary": [],
 "risk_subcategory": "Credential & Secret Theft",
 "risk_sub_secondary": [
  "Unauthorized Access & Account Takeover"
 ],
 "ai_entity": "generative",
 "agency": "ai_as_target",
 "agency_debatable": false,
 "agency_reason": "filter feature in an MCP gateway exposes server secrets; no model action in the chain",
 "vector_family": "other",
 "vector_detail": "authenticated_developer_tool_configuration",
 "guardrail_kind": [
  "unknown"
 ],
 "guardrail_outcome": "silent",
 "xrefs": {
  "aiid": [],
  "atlas": [],
  "cve": [
   "CVE-2026-18486"
  ],
  "ghsa": []
 },
 "primary_asi": "ASI03",
 "agent_framework": "mcp_server",
 "model_provider": "unknown",
 "model_name": "",
 "detection_mechanism": "unknown",
 "tool_access": "unknown",
 "financial_loss_band": "unknown",
 "eai_category": "credential_theft",
 "eai_domain": "access_control_and_permissions",
 "eai_secondary": [
  "privilege_escalation"
 ],
 "eai_reason": "subcategory: Credential & Secret Theft",
 "asi_curated": [],
 "asi_scope": "in_scope",
 "asi_provenance": "rule",
 "asi_reason": "ASI03 (eai_category=credential_theft)",
 "submitted_by": "EAI Internal"
}