# CVE-2026-9171: IBM PowerVM Novalink denial of service via memory exhaustion

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-9171-ibm-powervm-novalink-denial-of-service-via-memory-exhaustion  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-07-17. Updated: 2026-07-17  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-9171 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.5 · Published 2026-07-17

IBM PowerVM Novalink, a tool used to manage virtualization on IBM Power Systems, is vulnerable to a denial of service attack. By sending a specially crafted request, a remote attacker can force the server to consume excessive memory. This can lead to system instability or a complete service outage, preventing administrators from managing their virtualized environment.

Technologies: [IBM PowerVM NovaLink](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/novalink). Vendors: [IBM](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/ibm).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-9171 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-9171 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-9171?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.5, published 17 July 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** IBM PowerVM NovaLink 2.2.0, 2.2.1, 2.2.1.1, 2.3.0, 2.3.0.1, 2.3.1, 2.3.2.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-9171?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-9171 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-9171?** Check whether you run IBM PowerVM NovaLink 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

IBM PowerVM Novalink is affected by a denial of service vulnerability (CWE-400) originating from its use of IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty. The flaw allows a remote, unauthenticated attacker to send a specially crafted HTTP request that triggers uncontrolled resource consumption. Specifically, the exploit causes the server to exhaust available memory resources, leading to a denial of service condition. The vulnerability is reachable over the network without user interaction. IBM has released patches for affected versions 2.2.x and 2.3.x to mitigate this issue.

## Affected products

- IBM PowerVM Novalink 2.2.0, 2.2.1, 2.2.1.1, 2.3.0, 2.3.0.1, 2.3.1, 2.3.2

## Timeline

- 2026-07-16: advisory: Initial publication by IBM
- 2026-07-17: disclosed: NVD publication date

## References

- [https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7280226](https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7280226)

## Related threats

- [IBM PowerVM Novalink API misconfiguration](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-14971-ibm-powervm-novalink-api-misconfiguration)