CVE-2026-16874
Received Received - Intake

Local Privilege Escalation in IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS

Publication date: 2026-08-19

Last updated on: 2026-08-19

Assigner: IBM Corporation

Description
IBM AIX 7.2, and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 could allow a local attacker to obtain root privileges due to improper enforcement of RBAC authentication roles.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-19
Last Modified
2026-08-19
Generated
2026-08-20
AI Q&A
2026-08-19
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-16874
EUVD
EUVD-2026-62874

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 3 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
ibm aix 7.2
ibm aix 7.3
ibm powervm_vios 4.1

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-269 The product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in IBM AIX 7.2, 7.3, and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 allows a local attacker to gain root privileges due to improper enforcement of RBAC authentication roles. This means an attacker with local access could bypass security controls and take full control of the system.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker to perform unauthorized actions, install malware, steal sensitive data, or disrupt system operations. Since root access is obtained, the attacker could gain complete control over the affected system.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, violating compliance requirements under GDPR, HIPAA, and other regulations. Organizations using affected IBM systems may face legal penalties, data breach notifications, and reputational damage.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply IBM-provided patches or updates for AIX 7.2, 7.3, and PowerVM VIOS 4.1 to address improper RBAC enforcement. Monitor IBM security advisories for fixes and restrict local user access until patches are applied.

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