CVE-2026-96266

Received Received - Intake

Memory Corruption in IBM Power Systems Firmware

Publication date: 2026-10-12

Last updated on: 2026-10-12

Assigner: IBM Corporation

Description

IBM Power Systems Firmware FW1060.00 through FW1060.81 is affected by a vulnerability in host firmware configuration parsing. An attacker with authenticated service-level access to the FSP can write specially crafted configuration data to cause memory corruption in the host firmware boot stage during system IPL, compromising the host firmware boot stack and the hypervisor subsequently loaded by it. Successful exploitation results in a confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact to the managed system.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published

2026-10-12

Last Modified

2026-10-12

Generated

2026-10-13

AI Q&A

2026-10-13

EPSS Evaluated

N/A

NVD

CVE-2026-96266

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
IBM	PowerVM	Hypervisor FW1060.00

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 vulnerability affects IBM Power Systems Firmware versions FW1060.00 through FW1060.81. An attacker with authenticated service-level access to the FSP can exploit it by writing specially crafted configuration data. This causes memory corruption during the host firmware boot stage when the system IPL occurs, compromising the host firmware boot stack and the hypervisor loaded afterward.

Detection Guidance

Detection requires authenticated access to the FSP (Flexible Service Processor) on IBM Power Systems. Check for unusual configuration changes or memory corruption during system IPL (Initial Program Load). Monitor logs for errors related to firmware boot stack or hypervisor loading. No specific commands are provided in the context.

Impact Analysis

Successful exploitation can lead to confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts on the managed system. This means sensitive data could be exposed, system operations could be altered, and the system might become unstable or unavailable.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability compromises the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the managed system due to memory corruption in the host firmware boot stage. Such impacts could lead to unauthorized access or data breaches, which are critical concerns under GDPR and HIPAA. Non-compliance risks include legal penalties and reputational damage.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest firmware update from IBM to version FW1060.82 or higher. Restrict service-level access to the FSP to trusted personnel only. Review and validate all host firmware configuration data for integrity. Monitor for signs of exploitation such as boot failures or hypervisor instability.

Hi! I’m here to help you understand CVE-2026-96266. Ask me anything about the vulnerability, its impact, or mitigation strategies.

0/70