What is CVE-2026-16980?

CVE-2026-16980 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM Aix, classified under Improper Link Resolution Before File Access. CVSS score: 6.3/10. Published 2026-08-20.

How severe is CVE-2026-16980?

Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 6.3 out of 10.

Vulnerability in IBM Aix

CVE-2026-16980

IBM AIX 7.2, and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 could allow a local attacker to cause a denial of service due to improper validation of symbolic links.

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 6.3 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H.

Affected products

Ibm Aix — versions 7.2, 7.3
Ibm Powervm Vios — versions 4.1

Weakness classification (CWE)

CWE-59 — Improper Link Resolution Before File Access

References

psirt@us.ibm.com (vendor-advisory, patch)

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-16980?: CVE-2026-16980 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM Aix, classified under Improper Link Resolution Before File Access. CVSS score: 6.3/10. Published 2026-08-20.
How severe is CVE-2026-16980?: Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 6.3 out of 10.