CVE-2026-72693
Kbd: local privilege escalation in openvt via incorrect process owner verification allowing passwordless root login
`openvt -u` is intended to identify the owner of the current VT and then execute `login` as that user from a privileged context. In the documented `kbrequest`/init usage, the ownership test in `authenticate_user()` relies on `stat("/proc/<pid>/fd/0")`. `stat()` on `/proc/<pid>/fd/0` follows the symlink to the underlying TTY device node. As a result, `buf.st_uid` reflects the owner of the TTY node rather than the owner of the process holding the file descriptor. If the TTY owner returns to `root` or the getty owner after logout while an unprivileged process still has `fd 0` attached to that TTY, the check can incorrectly treat that process as belonging to the privileged console owner. Once that check succeeds, the `-u` path executes a passwordless login as the selected user. In the documented `kbrequest`/init deployment using `openvt -us`, this can result in passwordless `login -f root` on the spawned VT. This report establishes that privilege escalation path for that documented deployment; it does not claim equivalent reachability for deployments that do not use `openvt -u` from a privileged `kbrequest`/init path.
Fixes and workarounds
Workaround
To mitigate this issue, avoid using `openvt -u` in privileged `kbrequest`/init deployments. Instead, configure the keyboard request to initiate a standard authenticated login on the new virtual terminal, or disable the keyboard request binding entirely until a fix is available. Changes to `kbrequest` configurations may require a system restart or service reload to take effect.
Source: CNA: redhatAffected products and versions
| Product | Versions | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 Red Hat kbd
https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/ |
≥ 0:2.6.4-8.el10_2; < * (unaffected, rpm)
Other versions: affected |
CNA: redhat |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 Red Hat kbd
https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/ |
≥ 0:2.0.4-11.el8_10.1; < * (unaffected, rpm)
Other versions: affected |
CNA: redhat |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Red Hat kbd
https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/ |
≥ 0:2.4.0-12.el9_8; < * (unaffected, rpm)
Other versions: affected |
CNA: redhat |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.22 Red Hat openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9
https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/ |
≥ 4.22.9.8.202608251819-0; < * (unaffected, rpm)
Other versions: affected |
CNA: redhat |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.22 Red Hat openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9
https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/ |
≥ 4.22.9.8.202609081748-0; < * (unaffected, rpm)
Other versions: affected |
CNA: redhat |
| Red Hat Hardened Images Red Hat kbd-main
https://catalog.redhat.com/software/containers/ |
≥ 2.10.0-2.hum1; < * (unaffected, rpm)
Other versions: affected |
CNA: redhat |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Red Hat kbd
https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/ |
Range not reported
Other versions: unknown |
CNA: redhat |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Red Hat kbd
https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/ |
Range not reported
Other versions: affected |
CNA: redhat |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 Red Hat openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-8
https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/ |
Range not reported
Other versions: affected |
CNA: redhat |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 Red Hat openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9
https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/ |
Range not reported
Other versions: affected |
CNA: redhat |
Version ranges are source assertions. Check the vendor advisory and your installed configuration before determining exposure.
CVSS assessments
| Version / score | Vector | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1 / 7.8 high |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H | CNA: redhat |
| 3.1 / 7.8 high |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H | NVD: [email protected] |
Exploit evidence
No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation.
References
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:41136CNA: redhat · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:57597CNA: redhat · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:57610CNA: redhat · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:60440CNA: redhat · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:66357CNA: redhat · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:78951CNA: redhat · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-72693CNA: redhat · vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2462115CNA: redhat · issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:41136[email protected]
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:57597[email protected]
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:57610[email protected]
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:60440[email protected]
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:66357[email protected]
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:78951[email protected]
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-72693[email protected]
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2462115[email protected]