Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain low-privilege authenticated access
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DeliveryReach vulnerable AIX/VIOS command interface
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ExploitInject OS command metacharacters (CWE-78)
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ExecutionExecute arbitrary commands on host
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ImpactScope change to full OS compromise
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization OS command sanitization, avoid shell exec
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 1 tactic: Execution The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires the attacker to already hold valid low-privilege credentials and network reachability to the affected AIX or VIOS management/command interface (CVSS PR:L, AV:N, AC:L, UI:N). The concrete prerequisite is authenticated access to the component that improperly neutralizes OS-command special elements on AIX 7.2/7.3 or VIOS 4.1; the specific feature, daemon, or CLI is not named in the advisory data provided. Limiting factors: the authentication requirement blocks fully unauthenticated attackers, and exploitation is confined to the affected AIX/VIOS versions on IBM POWER hardware, so environments that isolate management interfaces or restrict account provisioning materially reduce exposure. |
| Impact | The signals are largely aligned toward high priority: the CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C, all impacts High) yields a 9.9 base score driven by network reach, low attack complexity, only low privileges required, no user interaction, and a scope change into the full OS. That said, PR:L means an attacker must first hold a valid (even unprivileged) account, which is a meaningful gate against fully anonymous internet-wide exploitation and argues for targeted rather than mass exploitation. Counterbalancing the high CVSS: there is no EPSS score, no POC, and no KEV listing in the provided data, so real-world exploitation probability is unquantified and currently unproven. This is a genuine high-severity issue warranting prompt patching on management/administrative planes, but the near-term likelihood of opportunistic mass exploitation is unconfirmed given the authentication requirement and absence of public exploit code. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who has obtained a low-privilege authenticated session on an exposed AIX 7.2/7.3 host or a VIOS 4.1 management interface submits input containing shell metacharacters to the vulnerable command-processing function. Because the input is not neutralized, the injected commands execute on the underlying OS, and the CVSS scope change indicates the attacker can move beyond the original component to compromise the full host. No public POC is currently identified, so exploitation would require the attacker to independently identify the vulnerable sink. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 20, 2026
OS command injection in IBM AIX 7.2 and 7.3 and PowerVM VIOS 4.1 lets a remote, low-privileged authenticated attacker run arbitrary operating-system commands due to improper neutralization of special elements (CWE-78). IBM PSIRT rates it CVSS 9.9 with a scope change, reflecting that an authenticated foothold can be escalated into full host compromise across the confidentiality, integrity, and availability dimensions. No public exploit identified at time of analysis and it is not listed in CISA KEV, so the current threat is potential rather than confirmed in-the-wild activity.
RemediationAI
Patch available per vendor advisory: apply the fixes IBM publishes in Support document https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7283858 for AIX 7.2, AIX 7.3, and VIOS 4.1 (IBM typically ships these as APARs/iFixes tied to specific technology levels and service packs - install the iFix matching your installed TL/SP). No exact fixed version string is provided in the input data, so confirm the precise iFix/APAR from that advisory before deployment. As compensating controls until patching, restrict network access to AIX and VIOS administrative and management interfaces to a dedicated management VLAN or jump-host, enforce least privilege so that low-privilege accounts cannot reach the affected component, rotate and tighten credentials for any accounts that can authenticate to the affected service, and increase logging/monitoring on the management plane to detect anomalous command execution; the trade-off is that network segmentation and access restriction on VIOS may complicate legitimate remote administration and automation workflows.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
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
AIX is IBM's proprietary Unix operating system for POWER-architecture servers, and VIOS (Virtual I/O Server) is the PowerVM appliance that virtualizes storage and network I/O for LPARs on those same systems. The root cause is CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command, i.e. OS command injection): a privileged component or management interface passes attacker-influenced input into a shell or system call without sanitizing metacharacters, allowing command boundaries to be broken. Because VIOS underpins the virtualization layer for potentially many guest partitions, a flaw at this level has amplified blast radius beyond a single OS instance. The advisory does not disclose the exact vulnerable command, daemon, or CLI, so the specific injection sink is not publicly detailed.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Remote authenticated low-privilege OS command injection with no user interaction gives PR:L/AV:N/AC:L; command execution escapes the component into the host, so S:C with full C/I/A impact.
Primary rating from Vendor (us).
CVSS VectorVendor: us
DescriptionCVE.org
IBM AIX 7.2, and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 could allow a remote authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary commands due to improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command.
Executive ViewAI
Organizations deploying IBM AIX 7.2-7.3 or PowerVM VIOS 4.1 face critical risk from CVE-2026-18835, a command injection vulnerability allowing authenticated users to execute arbitrary system commands and achieve full host compromise. This affects IT operations, virtualization platforms, and backup infrastructure across the enterprise. With no vendor patch currently available, immediate action is required to restrict access and implement detection capabilities.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations include: (1) enforce principle of least privilege and multi-factor authentication for all authenticated access to affected systems; (2) implement comprehensive command execution logging and real-time alerting for suspicious patterns; (3) apply network segmentation to limit lateral movement in case of compromise; (4) disable remote access protocols where operationally feasible and use out-of-band administration methods; (5) increase log review cadence to continuous monitoring for exploitation indicators.
Threat Intelligence Overview
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.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
OS command injection occurs when an application passes unsanitized user input directly into system shell commands.
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IBM AIX 7.2 and 7.3 nimesis NIM master service could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands due to improp
EUVD-2026-63748
GHSA-h8rg-pqwg-8qvq
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
VulDB
Exploit-DB