CVE-2026-18849 IBM OpenBMC Code Execution

Medium 6.8 Published 19 Aug 2026 Updated 21 Aug 2026

Authenticated administrators can execute arbitrary code via path traversal in the BMC firmware update process, compromising system integrity.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: An administrator
Attackable: Local or same network only
Victim action needed: Not needed
Fix: None listed

What is CVE-2026-18849?

CVE-2026-18849 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in IBM OPENBMC, published on 19 Aug 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

Official description

IBM OpenBMC FW1060.00 through FW1060.80 is affected by a vulnerability in the BMC firmware update process. An attacker with authenticated administrator-level access to the BMC can, under specific conditions, execute arbitrary code, resulting in a confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.

Weakness: CWE-22

Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-18849?

It affects 9 products.

Products include Ibm Openbmc, Ibm Power System E1050 \(9043-Mrx\) Firmware, Ibm Power System L1022 \(9786-22h\) Firmware, Ibm Power System L1024 \(9786-42h\) Firmware, Ibm Power System S1012 \(9028-21b\) Firmware, Ibm Power System S1014 \(9105-41b\) Firmware and 3 more.

How do I fix CVE-2026-18849?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-18849 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

Upgrade, and resolve every user-supplied path against an allowed base folder before opening it. More about Path traversal.

Is CVE-2026-18849 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-18849 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Sources

Also known as GHSA-5j8f-fc55-9mwx.