CVE-2026-16656 Vulnerabilities in IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS

Critical 9.8 Published 19 Aug 2026 Updated 20 Aug 2026

A remote attacker can gain root privileges on IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS due to improper authentication mechanisms.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: Not needed
Attackable: Over the internet
Victim action needed: Not needed
Fix: None listed

What is CVE-2026-16656?

CVE-2026-16656 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in Ibm Aix, published on 19 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

Official description

IBM AIX 7.2, and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 could allow a remote attacker to gain root privileges due to improper authentication.

Weakness: CWE-287

Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-16656?

It affects 2 products.

Products include Ibm Aix, Ibm Vios.

How do I fix CVE-2026-16656?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-16656 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

Upgrade, and rotate credentials and sessions that may have been exposed. More about Authentication bypass.

Is CVE-2026-16656 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-16656 in the wild and no public exploit code.

All Ibm Aix vulnerabilities

Sources

Also known as GHSA-cqrp-mxgc-jj3v.