CVE-2026-16931: CWE-835 Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')
IBM i 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3 could allow a remote attacker to cause a denial of service due to improper handling of zero-length TCP options.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
This vulnerability, identified as CWE-835 (Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition), affects IBM i versions 7.3 through 7.6. The flaw arises from improper processing of zero-length TCP options, leading to an infinite loop condition. A remote attacker can exploit this to cause a denial of service by making the system enter an unexitable loop, impacting availability. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.5, reflecting high severity with network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges or user interaction required, and impact limited to availability.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation results in denial of service by causing the affected IBM i system to enter an infinite loop, making it unresponsive or unavailable. There is no impact on confidentiality or integrity reported.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. No official fix or temporary workaround has been published at this time.
CVE-2026-16931: CWE-835 Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')
Description
IBM i 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3 could allow a remote attacker to cause a denial of service due to improper handling of zero-length TCP options.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.5high
Affected software
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:i:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:a:ibm:i:7.6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:a:ibm:i:7.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:a:ibm:i:7.5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:a:ibm:i:7.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:a:ibm:i:7.4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
This vulnerability, identified as CWE-835 (Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition), affects IBM i versions 7.3 through 7.6. The flaw arises from improper processing of zero-length TCP options, leading to an infinite loop condition. A remote attacker can exploit this to cause a denial of service by making the system enter an unexitable loop, impacting availability. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.5, reflecting high severity with network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges or user interaction required, and impact limited to availability.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation results in denial of service by causing the affected IBM i system to enter an infinite loop, making it unresponsive or unavailable. There is no impact on confidentiality or integrity reported.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. No official fix or temporary workaround has been published at this time.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- ibm
- Date Reserved
- 2026-07-24T07:27:02.461Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 6a7cb3e6bf8831d539ed558e
Added to database: 08/12/2026, 17:56:54 UTC
Last enriched: 08/12/2026, 18:12:44 UTC
Last updated: 08/12/2026, 20:59:52 UTC
Views: 5
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