CVE-2026-17040
Received Received - Intake

Buffer Overflow in IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-17040, 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 remote attacker to execute arbitrary code due to a 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-120 The product copies an input buffer to an output buffer without verifying that the size of the input buffer is less than the size of the output buffer.

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

This is a buffer overflow vulnerability in IBM AIX 7.2, 7.3, and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 that allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code. It occurs due to improper bounds checking in memory operations, enabling an attacker to overwrite adjacent memory and gain control of the system.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow attackers to take full control of affected systems, install malware, steal data, or disrupt operations. Systems running vulnerable versions of IBM AIX or PowerVM VIOS are at risk if exposed to untrusted networks.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code due to a buffer overflow, which could lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, or system compromise. Such risks may violate compliance requirements under GDPR (data protection) and HIPAA (healthcare data security) by exposing sensitive information or failing to ensure system integrity and confidentiality.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS security patches immediately. Isolate affected systems from untrusted networks. Monitor for unusual network traffic or unauthorized access attempts.

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