Root privilege escalation via TOCTOU race
Published Aug 20, 2026 · Updated Aug 21, 2026
Privilege escalation in IBM AIX 7.2 and 7.3 and PowerVM VIOS 4.1 allows local users to gain root privileges through a TOCTOU race. IBM has not disclosed the affected component, resource, or operations that become inconsistent between the security check and subsequent use. Exploitation requires existing low-privileged local access and user interaction; success grants full root control over the affected partition.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in IBM AIX 7.2 and 7.3 and PowerVM VIOS 4.1 allows local users to gain root privileges through a TOCTOU race. IBM has not disclosed the affected component, resource, or operations that become inconsistent between the security check and subsequent use. Exploitation requires existing low-privileged local access and user interaction; success grants full root control over the affected partition.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-16927
- Published
- Aug 20, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 21, 2026
- Vendor
- IBM
- Product
- AIX
- Classifications
- CWE-367, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 20, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 21, 2026Record 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.
- Affected versionversion=7.2
- Affected versionversion=7.3
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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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