CVE-2026-16817: Vulnerabilities in IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS

Published Aug 15, 2026
·
Updated

IBM AIX 7.2, and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 could allow a remote attacker to cause a denial of service due to a NULL pointer dereference.

Affected Software

10 affected components
IBM AIX<=7.2
IBM AIX<=7.3
IBM PowerVM VIOS<=4.1
IBM VIOS>=4.1.0<4.1.0.50
IBM VIOS>=4.1.1.0<4.1.1.30
IBM VIOS>=4.1.2.0<4.1.2.20
IBM AIX>=7.2.5<=7.2.5.212
IBM AIX>=7.3.2<=7.3.2.5
IBM AIX>=7.3.3<=7.3.3.2
IBM AIX>=7.3.4<=7.3.4.1

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade AIX 7.2 / AIX 7.3 (and related AIX service packs) to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in SP13
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade AIX 7.3 TL04 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in SP2Patch 7.3 TL04SP2
  3. Upgrade

    Upgrade AIX 7.3 TL03 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in SP3Patch 7.3 TL03SP3
  4. Upgrade

    Upgrade AIX 7.3 TL02 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in SP5Patch 7.3 TL02SP5
  5. Upgrade

    Upgrade PowerVM VIOS 4.1.0 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 4.1.0.50Patch IJ5956508/14/2026
  6. Upgrade

    Upgrade PowerVM VIOS 4.1.1 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 4.1.1.30Patch IJ5956408/14/2026
  7. Upgrade

    Upgrade PowerVM VIOS 4.1.2 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 4.1.2.20Patch IJ5956308/14/2026
  8. Compensating control

    If using nimsh secure to apply VIOS/AIX patches, follow the special steps noted in the provided IBM instructions because the protocol between master and client is updated to be more secure.

  9. Operational

    Reboot the LPAR to complete the SP/FP update.

  10. Operational

    For VIOS 4.1.0 and VIOS 4.1.1, perform the additional steps required to migrate to the latest Postgres15 after applying the 4.1.0.50 or 4.1.1.30 FPs.

Event History

Aug 15, 2026
CVE Published
via IBM·12:00 AM
Data Sourced
via IBM·12:00 AM
DescriptionAffected Software
Aug 19, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·03:02 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·03:02 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·03:16 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the impact of successful exploitation?

A remote attacker could cause a denial of service by triggering a NULL pointer dereference.

2

Which products are identified as affected?

The affected products listed are IBM AIX and IBM PowerVM VIOS.

3

Is authentication or any specific network service required for exploitation?

The available information only states that the attacker is remote. It does not specify authentication requirements, the affected service, or the conditions needed to trigger the issue.

Company

Resources

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