CVE-2026-16945

Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete

Stack-Based Buffer Overflow in IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS

Publication date: 2026-08-20

Last updated on: 2026-08-26

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

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published

2026-08-20

Last Modified

2026-08-26

Generated

2026-09-10

AI Q&A

2026-08-21

EPSS Evaluated

2026-09-09

NVD

CVE-2026-16945

EUVD

EUVD-2026-63678

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
ibm	vios	From 4.1.0 (inc) to 4.1.0.50 (exc)
ibm	vios	From 4.1.1.0 (inc) to 4.1.1.30 (exc)
ibm	vios	From 4.1.2.0 (inc) to 4.1.2.20 (exc)
ibm	aix	From 7.2.5 (inc) to 7.2.5.212 (inc)
ibm	aix	From 7.3.2 (inc) to 7.3.2.5 (inc)
ibm	aix	From 7.3.3 (inc) to 7.3.3.2 (inc)
ibm	aix	From 7.3.4 (inc) to 7.3.4.1 (inc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-121	A stack-based buffer overflow condition is a condition where the buffer being overwritten is allocated on the stack (i.e., is a local variable or, rarely, a parameter to a function).

Attack-Flow Graph

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 this to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges due to improper bounds checking in memory operations.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability involves a stack-based buffer overflow in IBM AIX 7.2, 7.3, and PowerVM VIOS 4.1. Detection requires checking system versions and applying IBM's official patches or updates. No specific commands are provided in the context to directly detect this issue.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker to gain control of the affected system, leading to unauthorized access, data theft, or disruption of services. It requires local access but could have severe consequences if compromised.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code with high privileges due to a stack-based buffer overflow. This could lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, or system compromise, which may violate compliance requirements under GDPR, HIPAA, or other regulations by exposing sensitive data or failing integrity checks.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS security patches or updates as soon as they become available to address the stack-based buffer overflow issue.

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