CVE-2026-16980
MEDIUM 6.3IBM 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.
NO EXPLOITATION SIGNALS
No known exploitation, public exploit, or elevated probability at this time. Track for changes.
Exploitation likelihood
0.1%chance of exploitation in 30 days · 3rd percentile
○ In CISA KEV
○ Public exploit / PoC
Impact if exploited
6.3CVSS 3.1 · MEDIUM
- ConfidentialityNone
- IntegrityHigh
- AvailabilityHigh
What an attacker needs
- ⚠Access: Requires local access to the host
- ⚠Privileges: Requires a low-privilege account
- ✓User interaction: No user interaction needed
- ⚠Complexity: Needs a race window or specific setup
✓ lowers the bar for an attacker · ⚠ raises it
Proof of concept & exploit code
- github-search Search GitHub for public PoC repos
Test against your own equipment
curl -s https://vulnpedia.com/cve/CVE-2026-16980/poc.jsonMachine-readable PoC index for this CVE (for automation).Listed for defensive triage, patch verification, and authorized testing on systems you own. Machine-readable: /cve/CVE-2026-16980/poc.json
Weakness (CWE)
- CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
All CVSS metrics
- MEDIUM 6.3 v3.1 · CNA Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H - MEDIUM 6.3 v3.1 · NVD Secondary
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H