CVE-2026-17121: CWE-400 Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in IBM AIX
Description
CVE-2026-17121 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting IBM AIX versions 7.2 and 7.3, as well as IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1. It involves uncontrolled recursion that can be triggered remotely, leading to denial of service (DoS) conditions. The vulnerability does not impact confidentiality or integrity but results in service disruption. No known exploits are reported in the wild. Patch status is not confirmed from the provided data.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.5high
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-2026-17121) in IBM AIX 7.2, 7.3, and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 is categorized as CWE-400 (Uncontrolled Resource Consumption). It allows a remote attacker to cause a denial of service by triggering uncontrolled recursion, which exhausts system resources. The CVSS v3.1 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
An attacker can remotely cause a denial of service on affected systems by exploiting uncontrolled recursion, leading to resource exhaustion and service disruption. There is no impact on confidentiality or integrity.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until an official fix is available, monitor for vendor updates and consider applying any recommended temporary mitigations from IBM.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- ibm
- Date Reserved
- 2026-07-24T16:24:08.583Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6a877787acd9273b492c5e3a
Added to database: 08/20/2026, 21:54:15 UTC
Last enriched: 09/10/2026, 21:02:04 UTC
Last updated: 10/05/2026, 06:48:14 UTC
Views: 34
Community Reviews
0 reviewsCrowdsource mitigation strategies, share intel context, and vote on the most helpful responses. Sign in to add your voice and help keep defenders ahead.
Want to contribute mitigation steps or threat intel context? Sign in or create an account to join the community discussion.
Actions
Updates to AI analysis require Pro Console access. Upgrade inside Console → Billing.
External Links
Need more coverage?
Upgrade to Pro Console for AI refresh and higher limits.
For incident response and remediation, OffSeq services can help resolve threats faster.
Latest Threats
Check if your credentials are on the dark web
Instant breach scanning across billions of leaked records. Free tier available.