Description

IBM AIX 7.2, and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 could allow a remote authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary commands due to improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "9.9",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-19T15:16:57.523Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-19T15:16:57.523Z",
  "executiveSummary": "An OS command injection vulnerability exists in IBM AIX 7.2 and 7.3, as well as IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1. This flaw stems from the improper neutralization of special elements used in an operating system command within the affected products.\nThe vulnerability allows a remote authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system with the privileges of the vulnerable component.\nSuccessful exploitation requires authentication, enabling the attacker to leverage the command injection flaw to compromise the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of the host system.\nThe risk implications are severe, as arbitrary command execution can lead to full system compromise, lateral movement within the network, and unauthorized access to sensitive data or administrative functions managed by AIX and PowerVM VIOS environments.",
  "technicalDetails": "The root cause of the vulnerability is the improper handling and sanitization of input data containing special control elements or shell metacharacters. When user-supplied or externally influenced parameters are passed directly to underlying system shells or command execution interfaces without adequate input validation or neutralization, an attacker can manipulate the command syntax.\nThe affected components reside within IBM AIX versions 7.2 and 7.3, alongside IBM PowerVM VIOS version 4.1. The vulnerability is triggered when an authenticated user supplies specially crafted input containing OS command separators, redirection characters, or execution flags that are subsequently interpreted and executed by the operating system shell.\nThe attack flow requires the attacker to possess valid authentication credentials to interact with the vulnerable service or administrative interface. Once authenticated, the attacker submits malicious payloads containing shell injection vectors via parameters processed by the vulnerable component. Because the application fails to properly filter special characters, the input breaks out of the intended operational context and appends arbitrary shell commands.\nThe payload executes with the privilege level of the process handling the request. Depending on the context, this may result in the execution of arbitrary binaries, manipulation of system configurations, deployment of persistent backdoors, or escalation of privileges. Post-exploitation impact includes full administrative control over the targeted IBM AIX or PowerVM VIOS instance, enabling the adversary to pivot to other connected infrastructure components within the enterprise network."
}