Description

IBM AIX 7.2, and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 could allow a local attacker to obtain sensitive information due to an out-of-bounds read.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "3.3",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-19T20:17:10.040Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-19T20:17:10.040Z",
  "executiveSummary": "This vulnerability is classified as an out-of-bounds read security flaw affecting specific operating system environments and virtualization infrastructure. The vulnerability impacts IBM AIX 7.2, IBM AIX 7.3, and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1. If successfully exploited, the vulnerability allows a localized threat actor to obtain sensitive information from memory, potentially exposing critical system data or internal structures. The risk implication involves the unauthorized disclosure of confidential data residing in adjacent memory regions, which could be leveraged to facilitate subsequent, more advanced compromise attempts. Exploitation of this vulnerability requires local access to the target system, meaning the attacker must already possess an execution context or valid session on the host. No specific network exposure or remote attack vector is indicated by the vulnerability characteristics, limiting the attack surface strictly to authenticated or locally provisioned users or processes.",
  "technicalDetails": "The root cause of the vulnerability stems from an insufficient boundary check within the affected memory management or data processing logic of the vulnerable component within IBM AIX 7.2, IBM AIX 7.3, and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1. An out-of-bounds read occurs when software reads data from a buffer at an offset that is outside the intended boundary of the buffer, typically reading past the end or before the beginning of allocated memory space. In this specific scenario, the vulnerable code fails to adequately validate input parameters or index bounds before performing read operations against internal memory structures.\nThe exploitation method relies on the attacker supplying specially crafted inputs or triggering specific system interfaces that force the application or kernel component to read past authorized memory allocations. Because the vulnerability involves an out-of-bounds read rather than a write, the immediate payload behavior does not involve arbitrary code execution or memory corruption of writable segments; instead, it results in the retrieval of adjacent memory contents. These contents may include sensitive kernel data, administrative credentials, cryptographic material, or residual data from other processes executing on the system.\nThe attack flow proceeds as follows: First, the local attacker establishes execution capability on the target system running IBM AIX 7.2, IBM AIX 7.3, or IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1. Second, the attacker interacts with the vulnerable local interface, system call, or driver that handles the unsafe memory read operation. Third, by passing carefully calculated parameters, the attacker forces the vulnerable component to access memory addresses outside the designated buffer bounds. Finally, the system returns the out-of-bounds memory contents to the attacker, either directly through error messages, application output, or logging mechanisms, resulting in sensitive information disclosure.\nRegarding prerequisites and constraints, the vulnerability requires local access to the system. Privilege requirements depend on the specific vulnerable interface, but typically involve local execution rights. The affected versions encompass IBM AIX 7.2, IBM AIX 7.3, and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1. Post-exploitation impact is centered around confidentiality breaches, where the leaked memory contents provide actionable intelligence for further privilege escalation or lateral movement within the environment."
}