CVE-2026-16817Network attack vector

Unauthenticated service crash via NULL dereference

Published Aug 19, 2026 · Updated Aug 19, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in IBM AIX 7.2 and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM Virtual I/O Server 4.1 allows remote attackers to crash a network service. IBM's published records identify a NULL pointer dereference but do not disclose the affected daemon, protocol handler, or code path that dereferences network-supplied state. IBM's CVSS 3.1 vector is network-reachable and requires no privileges or user interaction, so exposure depends on whether the vulnerable service is enabled and reachable on AIX or VIOS hosts.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.31%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in IBM AIX 7.2 and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM Virtual I/O Server 4.1 allows remote attackers to crash a network service. IBM's published records identify a NULL pointer dereference but do not disclose the affected daemon, protocol handler, or code path that dereferences network-supplied state. IBM's CVSS 3.1 vector is network-reachable and requires no privileges or user interaction, so exposure depends on whether the vulnerable service is enabled and reachable on AIX or VIOS hosts.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-16817
Published
Aug 19, 2026
Updated
Aug 19, 2026
Vendor
OpenBMC Project
Product
AIX
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 19, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 19, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

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

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

OpenBMC Project · AIXversion=7.2; version=7.3
OpenBMC Project · PowerVM Virtual I/O Serverversion=4.1

Published CVSS scores

7.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo