Cifs-utils: local privilege escalation via forged cifs.spnego key description in cifs.upcall
Priority LOW 35CWE-250Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Privilege escalation
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 9 fixed, 3 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-250.
Summary
A flaw was found in the cifs-utils package where the cifs.upcall helper fails to securely drop its root privileges before looking up user information inside a user-controlled environment. A local, low privileged attacker can exploit this by using a crafted request_key payload to trick the root-owned helper into entering a custom environment (namespace) containing a malicious NSS module. This forces the system to load the attacker's controlled NSS Module and configuration, allowing them to execute arbitrary commands as the root user, elevating their privileges and fully compromising the system.
Why it matters now
Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00157 4th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Red Hat: 4 advisoriesRed Hat: 9 fixed, 3 without a fix
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | — | 7.6-1.el10_2 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | — | 7.0-5.el8_10 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | — | 7.6-2.el9_8 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | — | 7.6-2.el9_8 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.22 | — | 4.22.9.8.202607220526-0 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | — | — | No fix listed | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | — | — | Not affected | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | — | — | No fix listed | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | — | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 7.6-1.el10_2 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 7.0-5.el8_10 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 7.6-2.el9_8 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 7.6-2.el9_8 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.22 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 4.22.9.8.202607220526-0 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in — Not affected CNA
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE names CNA · 11
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10.2 | 10.2 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:8::crb | 8 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | 8 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | 9 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:9::crb | 9 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | 9 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/a:redhat:openshift:4.22::el9 | 4.22 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:6 | 6 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7 | 7 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/a:redhat:openshift:4 | 4 | — | Red Hat |
- cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10.2 Versions 10.2 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:8::crb Versions 8 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos Versions 8 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream Versions 9 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:9::crb Versions 9 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos Versions 9 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/a:redhat:openshift:4.22::el9 Versions 4.22 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:6 Versions 6 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7 Versions 7 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/a:redhat:openshift:4 Versions 4 — ·Red Hat
Remediation
Red Hat 4 advisories
- RHSA-2026:44232 Released 2026-07-28 · Red Hat rating CriticalOpenShift Container Platform 4.22.7 bug fix and security update
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.22 rhcos-aarch64-4.22.9.8.202607220526-0, rhcos-ppc64le-4.22.9.8.202607220526-0, rhcos-s390x-4.22.9.8.202607220526-0 +1
- RHSA-2026:39576 Released 2026-07-15 · Red Hat rating Importantcifs-utils security, bug fix, and enhancement update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) pam_cifscreds-7.6-2.el9_8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) cifs-utils-7.6-2.el9_8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) cifs-utils-devel-7.6-2.el9_8
- RHSA-2026:39575 Released 2026-07-15 · Red Hat rating Importantcifs-utils security, bug fix, and enhancement update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8) cifs-utils-7.0-5.el8_10, pam_cifscreds-7.0-5.el8_10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CRB (v. 8) cifs-utils-devel-7.0-5.el8_10
Show 1 more Red Hat advisories
- RHSA-2026:32990 Released 2026-06-29 · Red Hat rating Importantcifs-utils security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) pam_cifscreds-7.6-1.el10_2
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 10) cifs-utils-7.6-1.el10_2
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10) cifs-utils-devel-7.6-1.el10_2
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Important. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:32990 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:39576 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:32990 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:39575 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:39576 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CRB (v. 8) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:39575 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:32990 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:39576 |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.22 | Fixed | RHSA-2026:44232 |
Not affected: 1 product
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-12505
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-58j9-p7xf-pjx7
- 2026-10-15 Fix available: openshift/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-11-03 Affected versions changed · CNA
- 2026-11-03 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
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Sources
- CVE-2026-12505 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-12505 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-58j9-p7xf-pjx7 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-12505 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences