# CVE-2016-8972: Privilege escalation in AIX

> A local user can gain root privileges on IBM AIX systems by exploiting a vulnerability in the bellmail client.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 15 Feb 2017
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-q6gc-h25f-hw7c

## What is CVE-2016-8972?

CVE-2016-8972 is a high-severity vulnerability in Ibm Aix, published on 15 Feb 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM AIX 6.1, 7.1, and 7.2 could allow a local user to gain root privileges using a specially crafted command within the bellmail client. IBM APARs: IV91006, IV91007, IV91008, IV91010, IV91011.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-8972?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Ibm Aix, Ibm Vios.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-8972?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-8972 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2016-8972 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-8972 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- IBM AIX 6.1/7.1/7.2 - 'Bellmail' Local Privilege Escalation (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in Ibm Aix

- [CVE-2025-36250](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-36250/): AIX Code Execution (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2024-56346](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-56346/): IBM AIX command execution (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2010-3187](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-3187/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2009-3699](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-3699/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2009-3517](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-3517/): Auth bypass in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-8972 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-8972 is a high-severity vulnerability in Ibm Aix, published on 15 Feb 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-8972 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Ibm Aix. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8972/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8972/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-8972
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-8972
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-8972

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8972/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.