CVE-2026-16898

Undergoing Analysis Undergoing Analysis - In Progress

IBM i Local File Ownership Change Vulnerability

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 local authenticated attacker to change the ownership of arbitrary files due to improper validation of an attacker-controlled file path.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
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Meta Information

Published

2026-08-13

Last Modified

2026-08-17

Generated

2026-09-03

AI Q&A

2026-08-13

EPSS Evaluated

2026-09-01

NVD

CVE-2026-16898

EUVD

EUVD-2026-58379

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-73	The product allows user input to control or influence paths or file names that are used in filesystem operations.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability in IBM i 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3 allows a local authenticated attacker to change ownership of arbitrary files due to improper validation of an attacker-controlled file path.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability requires local authenticated access to exploit. Detection should focus on monitoring file ownership changes and validating file path handling in IBM i systems. Check for unexpected changes in file ownership using system commands like WRKLNK or DSPLNK to review file attributes. Review system logs for unusual activity related to file ownership modifications.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could exploit this to modify file permissions, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data or disrupting system operations. This could lead to data breaches, system instability, or privilege escalation on affected IBM i systems.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access or modification of sensitive data, violating compliance requirements for GDPR, HIPAA, and other regulations. Organizations may face penalties, legal consequences, or reputational damage if exploited.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply IBM i PTFs or updates to address improper file path validation. Restrict local authenticated user permissions to prevent unauthorized file ownership changes.

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