CVE-2026-16944
Received Received - Intake

Stack-Based Buffer Overflow in IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-16944, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-08-20

Last updated on: 2026-08-20

Assigner: IBM Corporation

Description

IBM AIX 7.2, and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 could allow a local attacker to execute arbitrary code due to a stack-based buffer overflow.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-20
Last Modified
2026-08-20
Generated
2026-08-21
AI Q&A
2026-08-21
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

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-787 The product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

This is a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in IBM AIX 7.2, 7.3, and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1. A local attacker could exploit it to execute arbitrary code by overwriting data on the stack, potentially gaining control of the system.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker with local access to run malicious code on your system. This might lead to unauthorized data access, system crashes, or further network compromise depending on the attacker's goals.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code due to a stack-based buffer overflow in IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS. Such arbitrary code execution could lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, or manipulation of sensitive information, which may violate compliance requirements under GDPR, HIPAA, or other regulations that mandate strict access controls and data protection measures.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply IBM-provided patches or updates for AIX 7.2, 7.3, and PowerVM VIOS 4.1 to address the stack-based buffer overflow. Monitor IBM's security advisories for fixes and restrict local access to affected systems until patched.

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