Auth bypass in IBM Power Systems Firmware
CVE-2026-16938
IBM Power Systems Firmware FW1120.00, FW1110.00 through FW1110.30, FW1060.00 through FW1060.80, and FW950.00 through FW950.H2 is affected by a vulnerability in access controls over privileged system configuration operations on the FSP. An attacker with authenticated administrator-level access to the FSP can place the managed system into a non-production operational mode, allowing certain system components to be disabled. This condition persists across FSP resets and requires explicit operator intervention — clearing the affected configuration — to restore normal operation. Successful exploitation results in an availability impact to the managed system.
Vulnerability class: Broken Access Control
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 6.9 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:H.
Affected products
- Ibm Power Systems Firmware — versions FW1120.00
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- psirt@us.ibm.com (vendor-advisory, patch)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-16938?
- CVE-2026-16938 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM Power Systems Firmware, classified under Missing Authorization. CVSS score: 6.9/10. Published 2026-08-19.
- How severe is CVE-2026-16938?
- Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 6.9 out of 10.