Skip to main content

IBM AIX EUVDEUVD-2026-63710

| CVE-2026-17122 CRITICAL
Out-of-bounds Write (CWE-787)
2026-08-20 psirt@us.ibm.com GHSA-7rpq-xcrw-jvfg
9.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: us
View

Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Reach exposed AIX/VIOS network service
  2. Delivery
    Send crafted oversized request
  3. Exploit
    Overflow stack buffer (CWE-787)
  4. Execution
    Overwrite return address, redirect flow
  5. Persist
    Execute arbitrary code on host
  6. Impact
    Pivot to hosted LPARs/data

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Bounds checking, write limits
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, Privilege Escalation

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires network reachability to the specific vulnerable listening service on an affected host - IBM AIX 7.2/7.3 or PowerVM VIOS 4.1. Per the CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N), no authentication, no privileges, and no user interaction are needed against a vulnerable configuration, so this behaves as unauthenticated remote exploitation. The practical limiting factors are: the target must be running one of the exact affected versions, and the vulnerable service must be reachable from the attacker's network position - AIX/VIOS deployments commonly sit behind management-network segmentation, which is the primary real-world constraint on reachability. The precise service/port that must be exposed is not identified in the provided data and should be confirmed from the IBM advisory.

Impact

The signals available point to genuine high priority rather than an inflated CVSS score. The CVSS:3.1 base of 9.8 reflects a network attack vector, low complexity, no privileges, and no user interaction, with High impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability - the textbook profile of a wormable pre-auth RCE. No EPSS score is supplied in the input, and there is no CISA KEV listing and no known public POC, so exploitation is not confirmed in the wild; the risk here is potential rather than demonstrated. The main uncertainty is exposure scope: AIX/VIOS systems are typically deployed inside datacenter management networks rather than on the public internet, so real-world reachability often depends on network segmentation, which can substantially reduce practical risk versus the raw 9.8. Even a mid-sized operator running Power estates should treat an unauthenticated RCE in the VIOS/AIX stack as urgent, because compromise of VIOS can cascade to every hosted LPAR. Net assessment: patch promptly; the absence of a POC lowers immediate mass-exploitation likelihood but does not lower the intrinsic severity.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker with network access to an exposed AIX or VIOS service sends a crafted request containing an oversized field that overflows a stack buffer in the handling code, overwriting the return address and redirecting execution into attacker-supplied shellcode. Because no authentication or user interaction is required, a single unauthenticated packet flow to the vulnerable listener could yield code execution on the host; no public POC is known at time of analysis, so exploitation would currently require original vulnerability research.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Why: CRITICAL severity.
No patch listed yet 0.8% exploitation probability (EPSS)

Get an e-mail when this CVE is exploited, patched or re-scored. Free account.

Alert me

AnalysisAIv1 – Aug 20, 2026

Remote code execution in IBM AIX 7.2 and 7.3, and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1, stems from a stack-based buffer overflow (CWE-787) that a remote attacker can trigger to run arbitrary code with no authentication or user interaction, per the CVSS:3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N) scoring 9.8 Critical. IBM PSIRT is the reporting source. There is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and the flaw is not listed in CISA KEV, but the unauthenticated network-facing nature makes it a high-priority patching target for AIX and VIOS operators.

RemediationAI

Apply the IBM-provided fix as documented in the vendor advisory at https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7283858; consult that page for the exact APAR, interim fix (ifix), or technology-level/service-pack version applicable to your AIX 7.2, AIX 7.3, or VIOS 4.1 release, as an exact fixed version string is not present in the supplied data (No vendor-released patch version independently confirmed here - obtain it from the IBM advisory). Until the ifix is deployed, reduce exposure by restricting network reachability to the affected service: place AIX and VIOS management/service interfaces on isolated administrative VLANs, block untrusted access to the listening port(s) at host and network firewalls, and limit VIOS access to trusted HMC/management hosts only - the trade-off is that overly aggressive filtering can disrupt legitimate LPAR provisioning or HMC communication, so validate rules against your I/O and management traffic before enforcing. Because the specific vulnerable daemon is not named in the available data, confirm the port/service to restrict via the IBM advisory before relying on network controls.

Affected VersionsENISA

AIX 7.2
PowerVM VIOS 4.1
AIX 7.3

Affected Packages

euvd aix no fix
euvd powervm_vios no fix

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 2 packages in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The affected platform is IBM's AIX proprietary UNIX operating system (releases 7.2 and 7.3) and PowerVM Virtual I/O Server (VIOS 4.1), the virtualization layer that provisions storage and network I/O to LPARs on IBM Power hardware. VIOS is itself built on an AIX base, which explains why both share the defect. The root cause is CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write) realized as a stack-based buffer overflow: a network-reachable component copies attacker-influenced data into a fixed-size stack buffer without adequate bounds checking, allowing the saved return address or adjacent stack state to be overwritten and control flow hijacked. IBM's advisory (node/7283858) does not, in the data provided, name the exact vulnerable service or daemon, so the specific network-listening component remains unspecified here.

Know when Aix gets its next vulnerability

  • Watch products and get an email when something new is published
  • Check this CVE against your own stack and servers
  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

No credit card · 7-day full trial

Severity by source

Vendor (us) PRIMARY 9.8 CRITICAL
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 9.8 CRITICAL

Description states remote attacker and arbitrary code execution with no stated auth or interaction, so AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N; RCE yields full C/I/A High.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (us).

CVSS VectorVendor: us

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

DescriptionCVE.org

IBM AIX 7.2, and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code due to a stack-based buffer overflow.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

IBM AIX 7.2, 7.3, and PowerVM VIOS 4.1 are vulnerable to unauthenticated remote code execution (CVE-2026-17122, CVSS 9.8) via stack-based buffer overflow, requiring immediate defensive action before patches become available. Organizations operating these systems face direct risk of complete system compromise accessible from any network-connected interface without requiring credentials. With no patch currently available, leadership must prioritize network isolation and enhanced detection to prevent exploitation.

Business Impact: Severe
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: restrict network access to affected systems via firewall rules to trusted IP ranges only; deploy IDS/IPS with signatures for stack-based buffer overflow attack patterns; enable comprehensive logging and real-time alerting for process execution, network connections, and system calls on affected systems; establish automated monitoring of IBM PSIRT channels for patch availability; segment AIX/VIOS systems from general network infrastructure; and prepare expedited patching procedures (test environment, rollback plan, deployment window) for immediate application when vendor releases fixes.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.8%
Top 46% exploitable
Prevalence
Medium
IBM AIX/VIOS runs enterprise Power datacenters but is a niche vs mainstream OSes
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity CRITICAL
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.8%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
CRITICAL severity
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Out-of-Cycle
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
Yes
Human Impact
Very High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

50
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: +1
CVSS: +49
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.

Memory corruption occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory regions or accesses memory in unintended ways, violating the integrity of the process's address space.

Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.

More in Aix

View all
CVE-2014-3566 LOW POC
3.4 Oct 15

The SSL protocol 3.0, as used in OpenSSL through 1.0.1i and other products, uses nondeterministic CBC padding, which mak

CVE-2013-4011 HIGH POC
7.2 Jul 18

Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in the InfiniBand subsystem in IBM AIX 6.1 and 7.1, and VIOS 2.2.2.2-FP-26 SP-02, a

CVE-2023-28528 HIGH POC
7.8 Apr 28

IBM AIX 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, and VIOS 3.1 could allow a non-privileged local user to exploit a vulnerability in the invscout c

CVE-2016-3053 HIGH POC
7.8 Feb 01

IBM AIX contains an unspecified vulnerability that would allow a locally authenticated user to obtain root level privile

CVE-2016-6079 HIGH POC
7.8 Feb 15

IBM AIX 5.3, 6.1, 7.1, and 7.2 contains an unspecified vulnerability that would allow a locally authenticated user to ob

CVE-2016-8972 HIGH POC
7.8 Feb 15

IBM AIX 6.1, 7.1, and 7.2 could allow a local user to gain root privileges using a specially crafted command within the

CVE-2014-8904 HIGH POC
7.2 Jan 15

lquerylv in cmdlvm in IBM AIX 5.3, 6.1, and 7.1 and VIOS 2.2.x allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted DBGCM

CVE-2012-2179 MEDIUM POC
6.9 Jun 22

libodm.a in IBM AIX 5.3, 6.1, and 7.1 allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a temporar

CVE-2014-3977 MEDIUM POC
6.9 Jun 08

libodm.a in IBM AIX 6.1 and 7.1, and VIOS 2.2.x, allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on

CVE-2026-18835 CRITICAL
9.9 Aug 20

OS command injection in IBM AIX 7.2 and 7.3 and PowerVM VIOS 4.1 lets a remote, low-privileged authenticated attacker ru

CVE-2026-16816 CRITICAL
9.9 Aug 19

OS command injection in IBM AIX 7.2 and 7.3 and in IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 lets a remote, authenticated attacker execute ar

CVE-2026-15068 CRITICAL
9.9 Aug 19

OS command injection in IBM AIX 7.2/7.3 and PowerVM VIOS 4.1 lets a remote authenticated attacker run arbitrary commands

This site uses cookies essential for authentication and security. No tracking or analytics cookies are used. Privacy Policy