Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10: Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality
CVE-2026-76578 is a critical-severity missing authentication for critical functionality vulnerability in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 from Red Hat, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 1.31% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 71% of scored CVEs.
Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.
What to do
- Check which version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (redhat.com).
Official description
A flaw was found in FreeIPA. The self-managed OTP token ACI does not require authentication and does not restrict which attributes may be added alongside the token entry. An unauthenticated LDAP client can exploit this, combined with a related flaw in the underlying directory server's ACI evaluation (tracked separately), to create an arbitrary attacker-controlled Kerberos principal and have it added to the administrators group. This allows a remote, unauthenticated attacker to obtain genuine FreeIPA administrator-group membership and perform administrative operations against the directory and, on SID-enabled deployments, other IdM services.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality
The product does not perform any authentication for functionality that requires a provable user identity or consumes a significant amount of resources.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, consider using libraries with authentication capabilities such as OpenSSL or the ESAPI Authenticator.
- When storing data in the cloud (e.g., S3 buckets, Azure blobs, Google Cloud Storage, etc.), use the provider's controls to require strong authentication for users who should be allowed to access the data.
More Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality vulnerabilities (CWE-306)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Other references
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:70564
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:72279
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:82935
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:83083
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:83084
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:83085
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:83460
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:83461
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:89836
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:93071
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:93452
- access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-76578
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2519522
Other vulnerabilities in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.9 High severity
- 7.3 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
Recent Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality vulnerabilities
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 8.4 High severity
- 8.2 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 9.3 Critical severity
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