IBM AIX 7.2/7.3 & PowerVM VIOS 4.1 Format String V local PrivEsc
CVE-2026-16821 Published on August 28, 2026

Vulnerabilities in IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS
IBM AIX 7.2, and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 could allow a local attacker to gain elevated privileges due to a format string vulnerability.

Vendor Advisory NVD

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2026-16821 can be exploited with local system access, and requires small amount of user privileges. This vulnerability is consided to have a high level of attack complexity. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to be very high.

Attack Vector:
LOCAL
Attack Complexity:
HIGH
Privileges Required:
LOW
User Interaction:
NONE
Scope:
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality Impact:
HIGH
Integrity Impact:
HIGH
Availability Impact:
HIGH

Weakness Type

Use of Externally-Controlled Format String

The software uses a function that accepts a format string as an argument, but the format string originates from an external source.


Products Associated with CVE-2026-16821

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IBM Aix
 
IBM Powervm Vios
 

Affected Versions

IBM AIX: IBM PowerVM VIOS: