CVE-2026-16935: CWE-367 Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition in IBM AIX
Description
CVE-2026-16935 is a high-severity vulnerability in IBM AIX versions 7.2 and 7.3, and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1. It involves a time-of-check to time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition that could allow a local attacker to gain elevated privileges. The vulnerability does not have confirmed exploits in the wild as of the publication date. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.8, indicating significant impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability if exploited.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.8high
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 is a TOCTOU race condition in IBM AIX 7.2, 7.3, and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1. A local attacker could exploit this flaw to gain elevated privileges by exploiting the timing window between checking a condition and using a resource. The CVSS 3.1 vector indicates the attack requires local access with low complexity and no user interaction, resulting in high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows a local attacker to escalate privileges, potentially gaining unauthorized control over the affected system. This can lead to full system compromise, affecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system and its data.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the IBM vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Since no patch links or advisories are provided, administrators should monitor IBM's official channels for updates. Until a fix is available, restrict local access to trusted users only to reduce risk.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- ibm
- Date Reserved
- 2026-07-24T07:36:12.992Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6a87778eacd9273b492c5f99
Added to database: 08/20/2026, 21:54:22 UTC
Last enriched: 09/10/2026, 20:47:19 UTC
Last updated: 10/05/2026, 06:48:14 UTC
Views: 45
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