# CVE-2026-12610: Sssd: use-after-free crash in sssd' 'sssd_pam' process

Status: published. Published: 2026-06-30. Updated: 2026-11-04.

A flaw was found in sssd. When authenticating with a YubiKey, the SSSD PAM responder can crash due to a use-after-free vulnerability, where a memory pointer is incorrectly handled. A local attacker could exploit this flaw by manipulating smartcard or YubiKey contents, leading to a denial of service that disrupts authentication. This vulnerability also presents a potential for privilege escalation, although it is difficult to exploit.

## Remediation

- workaround: Configure the sssd systemd service to automatically restart on failure. This ensures authentication remains available even if an attacker triggers the denial-of-service crash. (source: CNA: redhat)

## Affected products and versions

- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 (pam): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 (sssd): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 (pam): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 (sssd): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 (pam): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 (sssd): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (pam): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (sssd): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (pam): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (sssd): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Hardened Images (pam): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 (openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-8): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 (openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 (openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat

## NVD configuration conditions

Affected CPE matches depend on the following AND/OR and negation conditions:

```json
[
  {
    "negate": false,
    "nodes": [
      {
        "cpeMatch": [
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:fedoraproject:sssd:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true
          }
        ],
        "negate": false,
        "operator": "OR"
      }
    ],
    "operator": "OR"
  }
]
```

## Severity and prioritization

- CVSS 3.1: 6.4 (medium); CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H; source: CNA: redhat

- CVSS 3.1: 6.4 (medium); CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H; source: NVD: secalert@redhat.com

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.12% as of 2026-11-03; percentile 1.94%

- SSVC: exploitation none; automatable no; technical impact total; source ADP: CISA-ADP

- Weaknesses: CWE-825

## Exploit evidence

No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation.

## References

- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-12610 (CNA: redhat; vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2490288 (CNA: redhat; issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://github.com/SSSD/sssd/issues/8796 (CNA: redhat)

- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-12610 (secalert@redhat.com; Mitigation, Vendor Advisory)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2490288 (secalert@redhat.com; Vendor Advisory)

- https://github.com/SSSD/sssd/issues/8796 (secalert@redhat.com; Issue Tracking, Mitigation)

## Provenance

- CNA: redhat: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-12610; retrieved 2026-11-04; source updated 2026-11-04

- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-12610; retrieved 2026-11-04; source updated 2026-11-04

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-12610; retrieved 2026-11-04; source updated Not reported

Revision: bf96d07b1096f24de7c2f74d214426914cae18da374fb3910fcb0bf3bf37c102

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-12610

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