# CVE-2026-88252: Sssd: sssd: denial of service via responder connection retry loop during file descriptor exhaustion

Status: published. Published: 2026-10-06. Updated: 2026-11-06.

A flaw was found in sssd. A local user can cause a Denial of Service (DoS) by exhausting the responder service's available file descriptors (system handles used for open connections). By opening and maintaining many concurrent connections to a responder socket while continuing to queue new connection attempts, an attacker can trigger an unthrottled retry loop. This condition leads to high CPU utilization and stalls the service, preventing legitimate identity and authentication requests from being processed.

## Remediation

- workaround: Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base, or stability. (source: CNA: redhat)

## Affected products and versions

- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 (sssd): 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 (sssd): 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 (sssd): 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

## Severity and prioritization

- CVSS 3.1: 4.7 (medium); CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H; source: CNA: redhat

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.13% as of 2026-11-05; percentile 2.71%

- SSVC: exploitation poc; automatable no; technical impact partial; source ADP: CISA-ADP

- Weaknesses: CWE-835

## Exploit evidence

- exploit: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2479240 (ADP: CISA-ADP)

## References

- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-88252 (CNA: redhat; vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2479240 (CNA: redhat; issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2479240 (ADP: CISA-ADP; exploit)

## Provenance

- CNA: redhat: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-88252; retrieved 2026-11-06; source updated 2026-11-06

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-88252; retrieved 2026-11-06; source updated Not reported

Revision: 7c5acec92dffadc14494814effeb74d134d976468ec67b8674483c81ea07934b

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-88252

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