CVE-2026-16945: Vulnerabilities in IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS

Q: Does exploitation require access to the affected system?

Yes. The issue is described as requiring a local attacker, so exposure is limited to attackers who can obtain local access to an affected system.

Q: Which IBM products should be included in impact assessment?

Assess IBM AIX and IBM PowerVM VIOS systems, as both are listed as affected software.

Published Aug 15, 2026

Updated

IBM AIX 7.2, and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 could allow a local attacker to execute arbitrary code due to a stack-based 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 PowerVM VIOS 4.1.0 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 4.1.0.50Patch IJ5956508/14/2026
Upgrade
Upgrade PowerVM VIOS 4.1.1 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 4.1.1.30Patch IJ5956408/14/2026
Upgrade
Upgrade PowerVM VIOS 4.1.2 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 4.1.2.20Patch IJ5956308/14/2026
Operational
An LPAR reboot is required to complete the SP/FP update.
Operational
For VIOS 4.1.0 and VIOS 4.1.1, additional steps are required to migrate to the latest Postgres15 after applying the 4.1.1.30 or 4.1.0.50 FPs.

Event History

Aug 15, 2026

CVE Published

via IBM·12:00 AM

Data Sourced

via IBM·12:00 AM

DescriptionAffected Software

Aug 20, 2026

CVE Published

via MITRE·09:34 PM

Data Sourced

via MITRE·09:34 PM

RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeakness

Data Sourced

via NVD·10:17 PM

RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

IBM-7283858

Frequently Asked Questions

Does exploitation require access to the affected system?

Yes. The issue is described as requiring a local attacker, so exposure is limited to attackers who can obtain local access to an affected system.

Which IBM products should be included in impact assessment?

Assess IBM AIX and IBM PowerVM VIOS systems, as both are listed as affected software.

CVE-2026-16945: Vulnerabilities in IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS

Affected Software

Remediation

Event History

Parent advisories

Frequently Asked Questions

Does exploitation require access to the affected system?

Which IBM products should be included in impact assessment?

Company

Resources

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