CVE-2026-16874: CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management in IBM AIX
IBM AIX 7.2, and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 could allow a local attacker to obtain root privileges due to improper enforcement of RBAC authentication roles.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
This vulnerability involves improper privilege management (CWE-269) in IBM AIX 7.2 and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1. Due to incorrect enforcement of RBAC authentication roles, a local attacker with limited privileges could escalate to root privileges. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.8, reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No vendor advisory or patch information is currently available, and no known exploits are reported in the wild.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows a local attacker to gain full root privileges, leading to complete system compromise including full control over confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until an official fix is released, restrict local access to trusted users only and monitor for suspicious privilege escalation attempts.
CVE-2026-16874: CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management in IBM AIX
Description
IBM AIX 7.2, and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 could allow a local attacker to obtain root privileges due to improper enforcement of RBAC authentication roles.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.8high
Affected software
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 involves improper privilege management (CWE-269) in IBM AIX 7.2 and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1. Due to incorrect enforcement of RBAC authentication roles, a local attacker with limited privileges could escalate to root privileges. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.8, reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No vendor advisory or patch information is currently available, and no known exploits are reported in the wild.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows a local attacker to gain full root privileges, leading to complete system compromise including full control over confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until an official fix is released, restrict local access to trusted users only and monitor for suspicious privilege escalation attempts.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- ibm
- Date Reserved
- 2026-07-24T04:32:40.275Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 6a86e0f8acd9273b49838590
Added to database: 08/20/2026, 11:11:52 UTC
Last enriched: 08/20/2026, 11:15:28 UTC
Last updated: 08/20/2026, 17:10:27 UTC
Views: 3
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