CVE-2026-16973: Vulnerabilities in IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS

Q: Which environments should be assessed for exposure?

Assess systems running IBM AIX and IBM PowerVM VIOS.

Q: What level of access does an attacker need?

Exploitation requires local attacker access to the affected system.

Published Aug 15, 2026

Updated

IBM AIX 7.2, and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 could allow a local attacker to disclose sensitive kernel memory due to an out-of-bounds read.

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 AIX 7.2/7.3 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in SP13
Upgrade
Upgrade IBM AIX 7.3 TL04/TL03/TL02 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in SP2Patch IJ5956508/14/2026
Upgrade
Upgrade IBM AIX 7.3 TL04/TL03/TL02 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in SP3Patch IJ5956408/14/2026
Upgrade
Upgrade IBM AIX 7.3 TL04/TL03/TL02 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in SP5Patch IJ59563
Upgrade
Upgrade IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1.0 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 4.1.0.50Patch 4.1.0IJ5956508/14/20264.1.0.50
Upgrade
Upgrade IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1.1 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 4.1.1.30Patch 4.1.1IJ5956408/14/20264.1.1.30
Upgrade
Upgrade IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1.2 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 4.1.2.20Patch 4.1.2IJ5956308/14/20264.1.2.20
Operational
Perform an LPAR reboot to complete the SP/FP update.

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·09:46 PM

Data Sourced

via MITRE·09:46 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

Which environments should be assessed for exposure?

Assess systems running IBM AIX and IBM PowerVM VIOS.

What level of access does an attacker need?

Exploitation requires local attacker access to the affected system.

CVE-2026-16973: Vulnerabilities in IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS

Affected Software

Remediation

Event History

Parent advisories

Frequently Asked Questions

Which environments should be assessed for exposure?

What level of access does an attacker need?

Company

Resources

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