Cockpit's remote login feature passes user-supplied hostnames and usernames from the web interface to the SSH client
Affects cockpitSource GCVE Database
Public exploit available (Exploit-DB) · CVSS 9.8 Critical.
Data as of 9 Nov 2026, 14:22 UTC
Sources agree
| CNA (redhat) | CVSS 3.1 | 9.8 |
|---|---|---|
| ADP (redhat-SADP) | CVSS 3.1 | 9.8 |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
t = 0 is the CVE’s publication on cve.org
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 7 Apr 2026
Detectable: evidence found.
nuclei template: Cockpit Web Console < 360 - Remote Code Execution
Weaponized: evidence found.
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
Timeline
CVE ID reserved
by Red Hat, Inc.
, 15 days before disclosure
CVE published
on cve.org
, t = 0
In Threat Radar
record ingested
, 16 minutes after disclosure
First Exploit-DB entry (opens in a new tab)
Cockpit 359 - RCE
, 44 days after disclosure
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 9 Nov 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 26.10cockpitpkg:deb/ubuntu/cockpit?arch=source&distro=stonkingOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 25.10cockpitpkg:deb/ubuntu/cockpit?arch=source&distro=questingOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 20.04 LTScockpitpkg:deb/ubuntu/cockpit?arch=source&distro=focalOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 18.04 LTScockpitpkg:deb/ubuntu/cockpit?arch=source&distro=bionicOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
Systems running OpenSSH 9.6 or later are not vulnerable to the hostname injection attack path. To mitigate the username injection attack path, ensure the SSH configuration does not use the %r token in Match exec directives, which is not default. If possible, upgrade Cockpit to version 327 or later with a fixed OpenSSH version (9.6 or newer). If upgrading is not immediately possible, restrict network access to the Cockpit web service (default port 9090) to trusted users only and disable remote host login if not required. Monitor vendor advisories for official patches and apply them when available. Red Hat is the authoritative source for patch status and remediation guidance.
Description
Cockpit's remote login feature allows user-supplied hostnames and usernames from the web interface to be passed to the SSH client without proper validation or sanitization. This flaw enables an attacker with network access to the Cockpit web service to inject malicious SSH options or shell commands via a crafted HTTP request to the login endpoint, resulting in unauthenticated remote code execution on the Cockpit host. The vulnerability exists in Cockpit versions starting from 327 and affects default configurations with remote host login enabled. The attack requires network access to the Cockpit service (default port 9090) and depends on the OpenSSH version and SSH configuration. Systems running OpenSSH 9.6 or later are not vulnerable to the hostname injection path, and systems not using the %r token in SSH Match exec directives are not vulnerable to the username injection path. This vulnerability has a CVSS score of 9.8 (critical) and public exploit code is available.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-4631 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-4631 (opens in a new tab)
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2450246 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/cockpit-project/cockpit/pull/23105 (opens in a new tab)
- access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-4631 (opens in a new tab)