CVE-2026-16829: CWE-476 NULL Pointer Dereference in IBM AIX
Description
CVE-2026-16829 is a medium severity vulnerability in IBM AIX 7.2, 7.3, and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1. It involves a NULL pointer dereference that could be triggered remotely, leading to a denial of service condition. There is no indication of confidentiality or integrity impact. No known exploits are reported in the wild. Patch status is not confirmed from the provided data.
CVSS v3.1
Score 5.3medium
Affected software
IBM
AIX
IBM
PowerVM VIOS
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:aix:7.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:a:ibm:aix:7.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:a:ibm:aix:7.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:a:ibm:aix:7.3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:a:ibm:powervm_vios:4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:a:ibm:powervm_vios:4.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*Run on your own infrastructure? Check whether these packages are installed with threat-finder — our free open-source scanner.
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
This vulnerability (CVE-2026-16829) affects IBM AIX versions 7.2 and 7.3, as well as IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1. It is caused by a NULL pointer dereference that can be triggered remotely, resulting in a denial of service. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.3 (medium severity), with attack vector requiring adjacent network access, high attack complexity, no privileges required, no user interaction, and impact limited to availability. No vendor advisory or patch information is provided.
Potential Impact
An attacker with adjacent network access could cause a denial of service on affected IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS systems by triggering a NULL pointer dereference. There is no impact on confidentiality or integrity. This could disrupt availability of affected systems or services.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until a patch or official fix is available, limit access to affected systems from untrusted adjacent networks to reduce exposure.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- ibm
- Date Reserved
- 2026-07-24T02:28:01.377Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6a860605acd9273b49871aa2
Added to database: 08/19/2026, 19:37:41 UTC
Last enriched: 09/11/2026, 07:49:29 UTC
Last updated: 10/04/2026, 10:02:25 UTC
Views: 41
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