Description

IBM AIX 7.2, and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code due to a use-after-free vulnerability.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "9.8",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-20T22:17:12.190Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-20T22:17:12.190Z",
  "executiveSummary": "This vulnerability is classified as a use-after-free memory corruption flaw affecting IBM AIX and IBM PowerVM VIOS. The primary impact of successful exploitation is the execution of arbitrary code by a remote attacker, which can lead to a complete compromise of system integrity, confidentiality, and availability. The affected software products include IBM AIX 7.2, IBM AIX 7.3, and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1. The risk implications are severe, as unauthorized remote threat actors could leverage this weakness to execute arbitrary instructions within the context of the vulnerable process or kernel space, depending on the specific vulnerable component architecture. Attacker capabilities include potential remote code execution without requiring prior authentication, depending on the network exposure of the affected service. Exploitation requirements typically involve triggering specific sequences of memory allocations and deallocations to induce a dangling pointer reference, which the attacker then manipulates to hijack control flow. Organizations running the impacted versions of IBM AIX or IBM PowerVM VIOS face significant operational and security risks until proper vendor-supplied remediation or configuration hardening is applied to neutralize the memory corruption vector.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability is rooted in a memory management defect known as a use-after-free, occurring within the internal components of IBM AIX 7.2, IBM AIX 7.3, and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1. Specifically, the flaw arises when a dynamic memory allocation is freed or deallocated, but the application or underlying kernel subsystem retains one or more pointers to the released memory address (dangling pointers). If subsequent execution paths attempt to reference these stale pointers without proper validation or nullification, and if the freed heap memory has been reallocated and populated with attacker-controlled data, memory corruption occurs.\nThe attack flow begins when a remote attacker interacts with a vulnerable network-exposed service or interface processed by the affected operating system or hypervisor components. By sending a carefully crafted sequence of network requests or data payloads, the attacker forces the target system to allocate, release, and subsequently reuse the vulnerable memory object. When the application dereferences the dangling pointer, the execution logic operates on the newly reallocated data as if it were the original, legitimate object structure.\nIf the attacker can deterministically groom the heap and spray specific payload contents into the newly reallocated memory slot, they can overwrite critical function pointers, virtual method tables (vptrs), or sensitive control data structures. Upon subsequent invocation of the corrupted pointer or method, the instruction pointer (e.g., the Program Counter) is redirected to malicious shellcode or a ROP (Return-Oriented Programming) chain supplied by the attacker. This results in the execution of arbitrary code with the privileges of the compromised process or kernel context.\nThe affected versions comprise IBM AIX 7.2, IBM AIX 7.3, and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1. Depending on the exposed daemon or subsystem managing the memory block, the attack vector may be remotely exploitable across the network without authentication, escalating the severity of the flaw. Post-exploitation impact includes full system takeover, unauthorized access to sensitive hypervisor or operating system resources, lateral movement within the network, and deployment of persistent malware."
}