CVE-2026-17429: IBM Power Systems Firmware incorrect authorization in BMC/FSP interface

CVE-2026-17429 · Severity: high · CVSS 8.1 · Published 2026-08-19

IBM Power Systems Firmware used in enterprise data center servers contains an authorization flaw in the interface between the system's management processor (BMC/FSP) and the host system. An attacker with administrative access to the management processor can write arbitrary data to hardware control registers, gaining complete control over the physical server and all virtual partitions running on it. This could allow unauthorized access to sensitive data, system shutdown, or hijacking of all workloads hosted on the affected server.

Technologies: IBM Power Systems Firmware. Vendors: IBM.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-17429 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-17429 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-17429?
High severity, with a CVSS score of 8.1, published 19 August 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
IBM Power Systems Firmware FW1120.00, FW1110.00–FW1110.30, FW1060.00–FW1060.80, FW950.00–FW950.H2, OP940.00–OP940.a1 (Power9), OP940.00–OP940.81 (Power HMC).
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-17429?
A patch was published on 2026-08-19: Updated firmware versions released for all affected Power Systems Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-17429 attacked?
It is attacked with local access.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-17429?
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.

Technical details

The vulnerability is an incorrect authorization flaw (CWE-863) in the interface between the BMC/FSP (Baseboard/Flexible Service Processor) and the host system. An attacker with service account or root access to the BMC/FSP can write arbitrary data to hardware control registers without proper validation, bypassing authorization checks. The attack requires local access to the management processor with elevated privileges, but once exploited, provides complete control over the host system and all partitions. The impact spans confidentiality (data access), integrity (system modification), and availability (denial of service). Patches are available as updated firmware versions for all affected Power Systems (Power 9, 10, and 11) and the Power Hardware Management Console.

Affected products

  • IBM Power Systems Firmware FW1120.00, FW1110.00–FW1110.30, FW1060.00–FW1060.80, FW950.00–FW950.H2, OP940.00–OP940.a1 (Power9), OP940.00–OP940.81 (Power HMC)

Timeline

  • 2026-08-15: disclosed: Initial Publication
  • 2026-08-19: patched: Updated firmware versions released for all affected Power Systems

References

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