Description

IBM AIX 7.2, and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 could allow a remote 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": "9.8",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-19T20:17:09.090Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-19T20:17:09.090Z",
  "executiveSummary": "An improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command vulnerability has been identified in IBM AIX 7.2, IBM AIX 7.3, and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1. This security flaw allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary operating system commands on the targeted system.\nThe vulnerability exposes core system functionalities to unauthorized manipulation, potentially leading to a complete compromise of the underlying operating system integrity, confidentiality, and availability.\nAffected products include IBM AIX versions 7.2 and 7.3, as well as IBM PowerVM VIOS version 4.1. The risk implications are severe, as successful exploitation grants the attacker the ability to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the vulnerable service or application.\nThe attacker capabilities include remote execution of system-level instructions without requiring prior authentication, depending on the specific attack vector associated with the improper input neutralization. Exploitation requirements involve sending crafted payloads containing special OS command elements designed to break out of the intended execution context and interface directly with the underlying operating system shell.",
  "technicalDetails": "The root cause of the vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper sanitization of special characters or command delimiters passed to underlying operating system interfaces. When untrusted input containing shell metacharacters is processed by the application or service without adequate neutralization, the operating system shell interprets these elements as executable command sequences rather than literal data.\nThe vulnerable component involves internal routines within IBM AIX 7.2, IBM AIX 7.3, and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 that construct and invoke system-level commands dynamically. The affected versions encompass IBM AIX 7.2, IBM AIX 7.3, and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1.\nExploitation occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious input string embedding OS command control characters or injection sequences. This payload is transmitted remotely across the network to the vulnerable target. Upon receipt, the application insecurely concatenates or passes the unsanitized input into a system execution function, such as system(), popen(), or a direct shell invocation.\nThe attack flow proceeds as follows: First, the remote attacker identifies an exposed service or interface that accepts user-supplied parameters and forwards them to the underlying operating system. Second, the attacker formulates an exploit payload utilizing command separators (such as semicolons, pipes, or ampersands) followed by arbitrary system commands. Third, the application processes the request, inadvertently executing the attacker's appended commands within the security context of the running process.\nThe post-exploitation impact includes arbitrary command execution, potential escalation of privileges, data exfiltration, system modification, and the deployment of persistent malware or backdoors. Network exposure is present due to the remote nature of the vulnerability, allowing attackers to initiate attacks across network boundaries if the affected service is reachable. Authentication and privilege requirements depend on the specific vulnerable endpoint, but the capability allows remote code execution vectors."
}