CVE-2026-16869

HIGH

Published Aug 19, 2026 Modified Aug 22, 2026 CWE-426

Description

IBM AIX 7.2, and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 could allow a local attacker to execute arbitrary code due to improperly scrubbed environment variables.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

7.8

HIGH

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0012

Probability of exploitation

0.02%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-426 CWE-426

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
ibm	vios	4.1.0 — 4.1.0.50
ibm	vios	4.1.1.0 — 4.1.1.30
ibm	vios	4.1.2.0 — 4.1.2.20
ibm	aix	7.2.5 — 7.2.5.212
ibm	aix	7.3.2 — 7.3.2.5
ibm	aix	7.3.3 — 7.3.3.2
ibm	aix	7.3.4 — 7.3.4.1

References

Advisories & Patches

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7283858

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-16869? +

IBM AIX 7.2, and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 could allow a local attacker to execute arbitrary code due to improperly scrubbed environment variables. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-16869? +

CVE-2026-16869 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching. The EPSS score is 0.0012, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-16869? +

CVE-2026-16869 affects products from ibm, specifically: aix, vios. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-16869? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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