CVE-2026-16856

Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete

IBM i OS Command Injection Vulnerability

Publication date: 2026-08-12

Last updated on: 2026-08-17

Assigner: IBM Corporation

Description

IBM i 7.6, and 7.5 could allow a local attacker to gain elevated privileges due to improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published

2026-08-12

Last Modified

2026-08-17

Generated

2026-09-02

AI Q&A

2026-08-12

EPSS Evaluated

2026-08-31

NVD

CVE-2026-16856

EUVD

EUVD-2026-57377

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
ibm	i	7.5
ibm	i	7.6

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-78	The product constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-16856 is a vulnerability in IBM i 7.6 and 7.5 where a local attacker could gain elevated privileges by exploiting improper neutralization of special elements in an OS command. This is an OS command injection vulnerability classified under CWE-78.

Detection Guidance

Detection of CVE-2026-16856 requires checking for IBM i versions 7.6 and 7.5 and verifying if the required PTFs (SJ10931 for 7.6 or SJ11010 for 7.5) are applied. IBM recommends applying these PTFs to remediate the issue.

Impact Analysis

A local attacker could exploit this to gain elevated privileges on the system, potentially allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data or system functions. The high CVSS score of 8.8 indicates significant risk.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows local attackers to gain elevated privileges through OS command injection, which could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data. This may impact compliance with GDPR (data protection) and HIPAA (healthcare data privacy) by enabling unauthorized data exposure or modification.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the provided PTFs: SJ10931 for IBM i version 7.6 and SJ11010 for version 7.5. These patches address the improper neutralization of special elements in OS commands that could allow privilege escalation.

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