CVE-2026-17168: Vulnerabilities in IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS

Q: Which systems should be prioritized for review?

Systems running IBM AIX or IBM PowerVM VIOS should be reviewed, as both are listed as affected software.

Q: Does an attacker need prior access to exploit this issue?

Yes. Exploitation requires a remote attacker to be authenticated before they can attempt to execute arbitrary code.

Published Aug 15, 2026

Updated

IBM AIX 7.2, and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 could allow a remote authenticated 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 4.1.0.50
Upgrade
Upgrade PowerVM VIOS 4.1.1 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 4.1.1.30
Upgrade
Upgrade PowerVM VIOS 4.1.2 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 4.1.2.20
Operational
Reboot the LPAR to complete the SP/FP update (AIX/VIOS remediation).
Operational
For VIOS 4.1.0 and VIOS 4.1.1, after applying the VIOS 4.1.0.50 or 4.1.1.30 FP(s) migrate to the latest Postgres15 (additional required steps).

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·09:56 PM

Data Sourced

via MITRE·09:56 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 systems should be prioritized for review?

Systems running IBM AIX or IBM PowerVM VIOS should be reviewed, as both are listed as affected software.

Does an attacker need prior access to exploit this issue?

Yes. Exploitation requires a remote attacker to be authenticated before they can attempt to execute arbitrary code.

CVE-2026-17168: Vulnerabilities in IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS

Affected Software

Remediation

Event History

Parent advisories

Frequently Asked Questions

Which systems should be prioritized for review?

Does an attacker need prior access to exploit this issue?

Company

Resources

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