Description

IBM i 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3 could allow a remote authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary commands due to improper privilege management during monitor owner reassignment.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "8.1",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-12T18:17:24.633Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-12T18:17:24.633Z",
  "executiveSummary": "A privilege management vulnerability exists in IBM i versions 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3 that could allow a remote authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary commands.\nThe vulnerability stems from improper privilege management during monitor owner reassignment operations within the operating system.\nAn attacker possessing valid authentication credentials can leverage this flaw to elevate privileges or execute unauthorized system commands, potentially leading to full system compromise.\nThe risk implication is severe, as successful exploitation undermines the integrity and confidentiality of the underlying operating system environment.\nExploitation requires the attacker to be authenticated remotely and interact with the vulnerable monitor owner reassignment functionality, abusing the improper access controls enforced during the reassignment process.",
  "technicalDetails": "The root cause of the vulnerability resides in flawed privilege management logic implemented during the monitor owner reassignment process in IBM i 7.6, 7.5, 7.4, and 7.3.\nThe vulnerable component fails to properly validate and enforce authorization boundaries when ownership of a system monitor is transferred or reassigned.\nAttackers with remote authenticated access can initiate a monitor owner reassignment sequence designed to bypass standard security checks.\nDuring the step-by-step attack flow, the authenticated user interacts with the system management interface or APIs responsible for monitor configurations.\nBecause the system incorrectly grants elevated privileges or fails to restrict the operational context associated with the new monitor owner, the attacker is able to inject or execute arbitrary operating system commands.\nThe payload behavior leverages the context of the improperly managed process to execute commands with unauthorized administrative or system-level privileges.\nPost-exploitation impact includes unauthorized execution of system commands, potential modification of critical system parameters, and further escalation of privileges within the IBM i environment."
}