CVE-2026-17118

Received Received - Intake

Remote Code Execution in IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS

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 use-after-free vulnerability.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

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

CVE-2026-17118

EUVD

EUVD-2026-63644

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
ibm	aix	7.2
ibm	aix	7.3
ibm	powervm_vios	4.1

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-416	The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This is a use-after-free vulnerability in IBM AIX 7.2, 7.3, and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1. It allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code by exploiting a flaw where a program continues to use memory after it has been freed, potentially leading to memory corruption and unauthorized code execution.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow attackers to run malicious code on affected systems, leading to unauthorized access, data breaches, or system compromise. It poses a high risk due to the potential for remote exploitation without authentication.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access or data breaches, violating GDPR and HIPAA requirements for data protection and confidentiality. Organizations may face compliance penalties, legal consequences, and reputational damage if exploited.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest IBM AIX or PowerVM VIOS security patches immediately. Isolate affected systems from untrusted networks until patched. Monitor IBM PSIRT advisories for updates and disable unnecessary services to reduce attack surface.

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