CVE-2026-16894: Vulnerabilities in IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS

Q: Does exploitation require local access to the affected system?

No. The issue could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code.

Q: Which IBM products are identified as affected?

IBM AIX and IBM PowerVM VIOS are identified as affected.

Published Aug 15, 2026

Updated

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 stack buffer overflow.

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.

Upgrade
Upgrade IBM PowerVM VIOS to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 4.1.0.50Patch key_w_apar7.3.2IJ5956508/14/2026
Upgrade
Upgrade IBM PowerVM VIOS to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 4.1.1.30Patch key_w_apar7.3.3IJ5956408/14/2026
Upgrade
Upgrade IBM PowerVM VIOS to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 4.1.2.20Patch key_w_apar7.3.4IJ59563
Compensating control
For VIOS 4.1.0 and VIOS 4.1.1, after applying the 4.1.0.50 or 4.1.1.30 fix packs, perform the additional steps required to migrate to the latest Postgres15.
Operational
Reboot the LPAR after applying the AIX Service Pack (SP) / VIOS Fix Pack (FP) update to complete the update.

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·07:54 PM

Data Sourced

via MITRE·07:54 PM

RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeakness

Data Sourced

via NVD·08:17 PM

RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

IBM-7283858

Frequently Asked Questions

Does exploitation require local access to the affected system?

No. The issue could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code.

Which IBM products are identified as affected?

IBM AIX and IBM PowerVM VIOS are identified as affected.

CVE-2026-16894: Vulnerabilities in IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS

Affected Software

Remediation

Event History

Parent advisories

Frequently Asked Questions

Does exploitation require local access to the affected system?

Which IBM products are identified as affected?

Company

Resources

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