IBM AIX 7.2/7.3 & PowerVM VIOS 4.1: Local DoS from Improper Symlink Validation
CVE-2026-16980 Published on August 20, 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 cause a denial of service due to improper validation of symbolic links.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2026-16980 is exploitable 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 have no impact on confidentiality, a high impact on integrity and availability.
Weakness Type
What is an insecure temporary file Vulnerability?
The software attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.
CVE-2026-16980 has been classified to as an insecure temporary file vulnerability or weakness.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-16980
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Affected Versions
IBM AIX:- Version 7.2 is affected.
- Version 7.3 is affected.
- Version 4.1 is affected.