Exploiting CVE-2026-90994 requires specific conditions, leading to a moderate security impact.
Status: Received on 14 Sep 2026, 16:17 UTC
Published on: 14 Sep 2026, 16:17 UTC
CVSS Release: version 3
secalert@redhat.com
Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
CVE-2026-90994: A flaw was found in sssd, specifically within the PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules) responder's protocol v1 parser, pam_parse_in_data(). A local client with access to the PAM responder's UNIX socket can exploit this by negotiating protocol v1 and sending an empty or truncated PAM request body. This can trigger an out-of-bounds read, potentially causing the PAM responder to terminate or restart, leading to a local denial of service.
The exploitability of CVE-2026-90994 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
With low attack complexity and no required privileges, CVE-2026-90994 is an easy target for cybercriminals. Organizations should prioritize immediate mitigation measures to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2026-90994, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2026-90994, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
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