Summary

RSA has addressed a critical vulnerability in the CT-KIP service of RSA Authentication Manager (AM) that could allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to execute code. The exposure is caused by a flaw in the Apache Axis 1.x bundled with the service.

Affected versions

The following RSA Authentication Manager versions are affected:

• RSA Authentication Manager 8.9 through 8.9 P3
• RSA Authentication Manager 8.8 through 8.8 P4
• RSA Authentication Manager 8.7 through 8.7 SP2 P7
• All versions earlier than 8.7

Action Required

Upgrade RSA Authentication Manager, including the primary instance, all replica instances, and all Web Tiers, to one of the following fixed versions. Apply the patch to every Web Tier host and every RSA Authentication Manager appliance.

• RSA Authentication Manager 8.9 P4 or later patches
• RSA Authentication Manager 8.8 P5
• RSA Authentication Manager 8.7 SP2 P8

Customers running versions earlier than AM 8.7 SP2 must upgrade to one of the versions listed above to be able to install the applicable patch. RSA strongly recommends upgrading to AM 8.9 P4 or later, where possible. Customers who are already running one of the listed fixed versions do not need to take any action.

For more information about other changes in each patch, please refer to the respective RSA Authentication Manager Patches and Hotfixes Readme files on RSA Community.

Apply a Temporary Mitigation

If you cannot upgrade immediately, implement one of the two mitigation options outlined below. Only one option is necessary, as either will effectively prevent the issue. Both options are applicable to all affected versions.

Option 1: Validate CT-KIP requests through a WAF or reverse proxy

This option applies to customers who already have a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or a reverse proxy in their deployment. Enforce structural validation of the CT-KIP request payload against the CtkipService WSDL using a WAF or a reverse proxy. Use the following steps as guidance.

1. Configure the WAF or reverse proxy details as Virtual Host and Load Balancing for the Web Tier on the Operations Console page.
2. Follow the mandatory next steps to complete the configuration.
3. Block the ingress of CT-KIP network traffic directed towards the Web Tier.
4. Ensure the ingress of CT-KIP network traffic reaches only the WAF or reverse proxy.
5. Enforce the structural validation in the WAF or reverse proxy for the incoming payload using the CtkipService WSDL. This ensures that the payload is not conforming to the expected payload to be rejected.

Note: The CtkipService WSDL will be provided by RSA.

Option 2: Disable CT-KIP on every Web Tier          

This option applies to all customers, including those without a WAF or reverse proxy. Disable the CT-KIP service on the Web Tier and use an alternative token-distribution method, such as Compressed Token Format (CTF) or file-based distribution (.sdtid).

Disable the CT-KIP service on the Web Tier:

1. Log in to the Operations Console.
2. Go to Deployment Configuration > Web Tier Deployments > Manage Existing.
3. Repeat the following steps for every Web Tier:
   1. Select a Web Tier and click Edit.
   2. Turn off Dynamic Seed Provisioning.
   3. Click Save.

Note: CTF and file-based token distribution have limitations on reuse. However, these methods provide alternatives to dynamic seed provisioning when CT-KIP is disabled, particularly for deployments without a WAF or reverse proxy.

Get Assistance

Contact RSA Support for fixed-version availability, supported upgrade paths, the CtkipService WSDL, or assistance selecting and verifying a mitigation.

Credit

RSA thanks the following members of the JPMC X-Day Offensive Research (XOR) Team for reporting CVE-2026-103052: Eugene Lim, Joshua Foote, and Michael Tucker.

Severity Rating

For an explanation of Severity Ratings, refer to the RSA Vulnerability Disclosure Policy. RSA recommends all customers take into account both the base score and any relevant temporal and environmental scores which may impact the potential severity associated with a particular security vulnerability.

EOPS Policy

RSA has a defined End of Primary Support policy associated with all major versions. Please refer to the Product Version Life Cycle for additional details.

Legal Information

Read and use the information in this RSA Security Advisory to assist in avoiding any situation that might arise from the problems described herein. If you have any questions regarding this advisory, contact RSA Technical Support. RSA Security LLC and its affiliates, including without limitation, distribute RSA Security Advisories in order to bring to the attention of users of the affected RSA products, important security information.
RSA recommends that all users determine the applicability of this information to their individual situations and take appropriate action. The information set forth herein is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. RSA disclaims all warranties, either express or implied, including the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title and non-infringement.
In no event shall RSA, its affiliates, or its suppliers, be liable for any damages whatsoever including direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, loss of business profits or special damages, even if RSA, its affiliates, or its suppliers have been advised of the possibility of such damages. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, so the foregoing limitation may not apply.