How severe is CVE-2026-17040?

CVE-2026-17040 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2026-17040 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (54th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2026-17040?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2026-17040 published?

CVE-2026-17040 was published on 2026-08-20 and last updated on 2026-08-21.

CVE-2026-17040

CVE-2026-17040 is a critical-severity vulnerability with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-120.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (54th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-120
Published: 2026-08-20
Last modified: 2026-08-21

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 buffer overflow.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-17040?: 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 buffer overflow.
How severe is CVE-2026-17040?: CVE-2026-17040 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2026-17040 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (54th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2026-17040?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2026-17040 published?: CVE-2026-17040 was published on 2026-08-20 and last updated on 2026-08-21.

References

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7283858

Other CWE-120 (Classic Buffer Overflow) vulnerabilities

CVE-2025-48611 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): In DeviceId of DeviceId.java, there is a possible desync in persistence due to a missing bounds check. This could lead…
CVE-2026-24823 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Out-of-bounds Write, Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input ('Classic Buffer Overflow') vulnerability in FASTSHIFT…
CVE-2026-24810 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input ('Classic Buffer Overflow') vulnerability in rethinkdb (src/cjson modules).…
CVE-2026-24800 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Out-of-bounds Write, Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input ('Classic Buffer Overflow') vulnerability in tildearrow…
CVE-2025-9962 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A buffer overflow vulnerability in Novakon P series allows attackers to gain root permission without prior…
CVE-2010-10016 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): BS.Player version 2.57 (build 1051) contains a vulnerability in its playlist import functionality. When processing .m3u…

Browse all CWE-120 (Classic Buffer Overflow) vulnerabilities →