# CVE-2026-16678: IBM Power Systems Firmware resource exhaustion DoS

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-16678-ibm-power-systems-firmware-fw1110-00-through-fw1110-31-fw1120-00  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-10-12. Updated: 2026-10-16  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-16678 · Severity: medium · CVSS 4.5 · Published 2026-10-12

IBM Power Systems Firmware manages virtualization for enterprise server infrastructure. A remote authenticated attacker can exhaust connection resources and cause a denial of service, disrupting business-critical workloads running on these systems. The vulnerability affects multiple firmware versions used in Power 10 and Power 11 systems.

Technologies: [IBM Power Systems Firmware](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/power-systems-firmware). Vendors: [IBM](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/ibm).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-16678 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-16678 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-16678?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 4.5, published 12 October 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** IBM Power Systems Firmware FW1110.00-FW1110.31, FW1120.00-FW1120.01, FW1060.00-FW1060.81.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-16678?** Yes: fixed in FW1110.32 (1110_160), FW1120.02 (1120_195) or newer; FW1060.82 (1060_199) or newer. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-16678 attacked?** It is attacked from the adjacent network.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-16678?** Check whether you run IBM Power Systems Firmware at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- Fixed in FW1110.32 (1110_160), FW1120.02 (1120_195) or newer; FW1060.82 (1060_199) or newer

## Technical details

This vulnerability is a resource exhaustion issue (CWE-772: Missing Release of Resource after Effective Lifetime) in the Virtualization Management Interface of IBM Power Systems Firmware. An authenticated remote attacker can trigger improper connection resource management to cause a denial of service. The CVSS vector indicates adjacent network access, high privilege requirement, and availability impact.

## Affected products

- IBM Power Systems Firmware FW1110.00-FW1110.31, FW1120.00-FW1120.01, FW1060.00-FW1060.81

## Timeline

- 2026-09-30: disclosed

## References

- [https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7287270](https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7287270)

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- [IBM Power Systems Firmware out-of-bounds write in service processor mailbox](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-17100-ibm-power-systems-firmware-out-of-bounds-write-in-service)