RCE buffer overflow in enterprise OS/virtualization (IBM AIX & PowerVM VIOS) that can fully compromise hosts and disrupt datacenter operations for affected organizations.
CVE-2026-17141
Critical remote code execution in IBM AIX 7.2/7.3 and PowerVM VIOS 4.1.
Is CVE-2026-17141 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-17141 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 0.56% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2026-17141?
CVE-2026-17141 is rated Critical with a CVSS score of 9.8. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-17141?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-17141. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-17141 affect?
CVE-2026-17141 affects IBM AIX 7.2, IBM AIX 7.3, IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-17141?
Isolate affected systems, restrict access to management interfaces, and apply vendor patch when available.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Remote code execution via buffer overflow allowing arbitrary code execution and full system compromise, enabling data theft and lateral movement.
Immediate action required
- affected7.2
- affected7.3
- affected4.1
As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.