CVE-2022-36768

Local root escalation through invscout

Published Sep 13, 2022 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

Privilege escalation in IBM AIX 7.1 through 7.3 and VIOS 3.1 allows local users to obtain root privileges through invscout. IBM has not published the defective operation or untrusted input path within the invscout command. Exploitation requires local access as a non-privileged user and results in root-level control of the affected system.

CVSS severity8.4
High
EPSS probability0.22%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in IBM AIX 7.1 through 7.3 and VIOS 3.1 allows local users to obtain root privileges through invscout. IBM has not published the defective operation or untrusted input path within the invscout command. Exploitation requires local access as a non-privileged user and results in root-level control of the affected system.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-36768
Published
Sep 13, 2022
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
IBM
Product
AIX
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 13, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 16, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=7.1
  2. Affected versionversion=7.2
  3. Affected versionversion=7.3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

IBM · AIXversion=7.1; version=7.2; version=7.3
IBM · PowerVM Virtual I/O Serverversion=3.1

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
8.4IBM CorporationCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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