TI-2026-69844 Aliases CVE-2026-107888

NULL pointer dereference in CUPS lets job submissions crash cupsd

LOW 24CWE-476Published 2026-10-09 · Updated 2026-10-15

Key facts

Attack vector: Local
Privileges required: Low
User interaction: None
Attack complexity: Low
Impact type: Denial of service
Confidentiality · integrity · availability: None · None · High
Fix status: Partial Red Hat: 1 fixed, 5 without a fix

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-476.

Summary

OpenPrinting CUPS before 2.4.20 contains a NULL pointer dereference (CWE-476) in cupsdCheckJobs(). Cleanup of a temporary printer can delete the printer while its held jobs remain, and the scheduler then dereferences the NULL result of cupsdFindDest() when a job is marked job-held-on-create. A local user with low privileges can trigger a crash of cupsd in some plausible scenarios, which interrupts all queues that the process manages. The references include a link to an exploit.

Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-29

Description from the CNA

OpenPrinting CUPS before 2.4.20 contains a NULL pointer dereference in cupsdCheckJobs() when a job marked job-held-on-create refers to a temporary printer that has been automatically deleted. Temporary-printer cleanup can remove the destination without canceling its held jobs, and the scheduler dereferences the NULL result of cupsdFindDest() while checking holding_new_jobs. This terminates cupsd and interrupts all queues managed by that process. In some plausible scenarios, an unprivileged submission can trigger this.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV

EPSS 0.00133 2nd percentileScored 2026-11-07

Public exploit Yes 1 exploit referenceTagged by NVD

Fix Partial CUPS (OpenPrinting): 2.4.20Red Hat: 1 advisoryRed Hat: 1 fixed, 5 without a fix

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation: None
Automatable: No
Technical impact: Partial

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
OpenPrinting	CUPS	before 2.4.20	2.4.20	Patch available	CNA

CUPS VendorOpenPrinting Affected before 2.4.20 Fixed in 2.4.20 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 1

CPE	Versions	Role	Vendor
cpe:2.3:a:openprinting:cups::::::::	before 2.4.20	Vulnerable	OpenPrinting

cpe:2.3:a:openprinting:cups:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 2.4.20 Vulnerable ·OpenPrinting

Remediation

CUPS 2.4.20 fixes this, so update CUPS to 2.4.20 or later. Red Hat released RHSA-2026:81410 for Red Hat Hardened Images. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 has no fix planned, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, 9 and 10 have no fix available.

Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-29

Fix · CNA CUPS (OpenPrinting) Fixed in 2.4.20

Red Hat 1 advisory

RHSA-2026:81410 Released 2026-10-12 · Red Hat rating Moderate
Red Hat Hardened Images RPMs Security Update
- Red Hat Hardened Images cups-2.4.19-4.5.hum1@aarch64, cups-2.4.19-4.5.hum1@s390x, cups-2.4.19-4.5.hum1@src +22

Fixed in the same release

Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.

Release · 2026-10-09
OpenPrinting CUPS 2.4.20
3 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 2 MEDIUM, 1 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2026-69843 Double free in OpenPrinting CUPS printer-class managementPriority MEDIUM 62
- TI-2026-69846 NULL pointer dereference in OpenPrinting CUPS scheduler via print jobsPriority MEDIUM 58
Show all 3 records →

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

Product	Status	Plan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10	Affected	No fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6	Affected	No fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7	Affected	No fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8	Affected	No fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9	Affected	No fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Hardened Images	Fixed	RHSA-2026:81410

Timeline

2026-10-09 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-107888
2026-10-10 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
2026-10-10 CVSS score added · Red Hat
2026-10-13 Fix available: RHSA-2026:81410 · Red Hat
2026-10-13 Fix available: Red Hat Hardened Images · Red Hat
2026-10-16 CISA SSVC decision points changed
2026-10-21 CVSS score added · NVD

References

Exploit 1

https://github.com/OpenPrinting/cups/security/advisories/GHSA-qqm8-4q5h-jg55

TI-2025-35903 cups has Authentication bypass with AuthType Negotiate CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.0
TI-2023-17077 CUPS vulnerable to use-after-free in cupsdAcceptClient() CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.1
TI-2026-27200 Path traversal in OpenPrinting cups CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.5
TI-2023-04157 OpenPrinting CUPS/libppd Postscript Parsing Heap Overflow CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.0
TI-2026-74874 Path traversal in OpenPrinting CUPS banner handling discloses files CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.3
TI-2026-27201 OpenPrinting CUPS: Heap overflow in `get_options()` CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.3

See all 24 →

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences