CVE-2026-16868

Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete

Denial of Service in IBM i via ASN.1 Length Processing

Publication date: 2026-08-13

Last updated on: 2026-08-17

Assigner: IBM Corporation

Description

IBM i 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3 could allow a remote attacker to cause a denial of service due to the use of uninitialized memory during ASN.1 length processing.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-08-13

Last Modified

2026-08-17

Generated

2026-09-03

AI Q&A

2026-08-14

EPSS Evaluated

2026-09-01

NVD

CVE-2026-16868

EUVD

EUVD-2026-58374

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
ibm	i	7.3
ibm	i	7.4
ibm	i	7.5
ibm	i	7.6

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-908	The product uses or accesses a resource that has not been initialized.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

IBM i versions 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3 are vulnerable to a denial of service attack due to uninitialized memory being used during ASN.1 length processing. This flaw allows a remote attacker to cause system disruptions.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability involves uninitialized memory during ASN.1 length processing in IBM i systems. Detection requires checking for abnormal network traffic or system behavior related to ASN.1 parsing. Monitor for crashes, hangs, or memory corruption in IBM i services handling ASN.1 data. Use system logs and network monitoring tools to identify unusual activity.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can lead to system crashes or service disruptions, potentially causing downtime for affected IBM i systems. It may also allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or gain unauthorized access.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to denial of service, which may impact availability of systems handling sensitive data. Compliance with GDPR or HIPAA could be affected if such disruptions lead to unauthorized access or data processing delays, potentially violating requirements for data availability and integrity.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest IBM i PTFs or updates provided by IBM to address the uninitialized memory issue during ASN.1 length processing. Monitor IBM security advisories for patches and test updates in a non-production environment before deployment.

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