Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability in IBM AIX and PowerVM
CVE-2026-16873

7.8HIGH

Key Information:

Vendor

IBM
Status
Aix
Powervm ViOS
Vendor
CVE Published:
19 August 2026

What is CVE-2026-16873?

IBM AIX versions 7.2 and 7.3, alongside IBM PowerVM VIOS version 4.1, contain a vulnerability that allows local attackers to exploit an out-of-bounds write condition. This security flaw enables unauthorized elevation of privileges, posing a significant risk to system integrity. It is crucial for users to review the advisory and implement recommended patches to mitigate this vulnerability.

Affected Version(s)

AIX 7.2

AIX 7.3

PowerVM VIOS 4.1

References

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7283858
vendor-advisorypatch

CVSS V3.1

Score:
7.8
Severity:
HIGH
Confidentiality:
High
Integrity:
High
Availability:
High
Attack Vector:
Local
Attack Complexity:
Low
Privileges Required:
Low
User Interaction:
None
Scope:
Unchanged

Timeline

  • Vulnerability published

  • Vulnerability Reserved

Credit

CVE-2026-14970, CVE-2026-15061, CVE-2026-15078, CVE-2026-15065, CVE-2026-15068 were reported to IBM by Oneconsult AG (https://oneconsult.com/).
.