CVE-2026-14940: Heap-based Buffer Overflow in Red Hat Red Hat Directory Server 11
A heap-buffer-overflow flaw was found in 389 Directory Server (389-ds-base). When normalizing a Distinguished Name (DN) that contains a legacy-quoted value encoding a multivalued nested Relative Distinguished Name (RDN), the server can write past the end of a heap allocation while sorting RDN attribute-value pairs. An unauthenticated remote attacker can trigger this condition by sending an LDAP operation whose DN reaches the DN normalization routine, such as a search with a crafted base DN. This can corrupt heap memory and may cause denial of service.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
This vulnerability involves a heap-buffer-overflow in the 389 Directory Server component of Red Hat Directory Server 11. The flaw is triggered when the server normalizes a DN that includes a legacy-quoted value encoding a multivalued nested RDN. During sorting of RDN attribute-value pairs, the server may write beyond the allocated heap buffer. An unauthenticated attacker can exploit this by sending an LDAP operation, such as a search request, with a specially crafted base DN that reaches the normalization routine. The result is heap corruption that may cause a denial of service condition.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to cause heap memory corruption, potentially leading to denial of service of the Red Hat Directory Server. There is no indication of confidentiality or integrity impact. No known exploits in the wild have been reported.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory at https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-14940 for current remediation guidance. No official fix or workaround is stated in the provided data. Until a patch is available, consider restricting access to the LDAP service from untrusted networks to reduce exposure.
CVE-2026-14940: Heap-based Buffer Overflow in Red Hat Red Hat Directory Server 11
Description
A heap-buffer-overflow flaw was found in 389 Directory Server (389-ds-base). When normalizing a Distinguished Name (DN) that contains a legacy-quoted value encoding a multivalued nested Relative Distinguished Name (RDN), the server can write past the end of a heap allocation while sorting RDN attribute-value pairs. An unauthenticated remote attacker can trigger this condition by sending an LDAP operation whose DN reaches the DN normalization routine, such as a search with a crafted base DN. This can corrupt heap memory and may cause denial of service.
CVSS v3.1
Score 5.3medium
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
This vulnerability involves a heap-buffer-overflow in the 389 Directory Server component of Red Hat Directory Server 11. The flaw is triggered when the server normalizes a DN that includes a legacy-quoted value encoding a multivalued nested RDN. During sorting of RDN attribute-value pairs, the server may write beyond the allocated heap buffer. An unauthenticated attacker can exploit this by sending an LDAP operation, such as a search request, with a specially crafted base DN that reaches the normalization routine. The result is heap corruption that may cause a denial of service condition.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to cause heap memory corruption, potentially leading to denial of service of the Red Hat Directory Server. There is no indication of confidentiality or integrity impact. No known exploits in the wild have been reported.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory at https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-14940 for current remediation guidance. No official fix or workaround is stated in the provided data. Until a patch is available, consider restricting access to the LDAP service from untrusted networks to reduce exposure.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- redhat
- Date Reserved
- 2026-07-07T12:01:04.779Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
- Vendor Advisory Urls
- [{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-14940","vendor":"Red Hat"}]
Threat ID: 6a4d1440c9d9e3dbe35d5c75
Added to database: 07/07/2026, 14:59:12 UTC
Last enriched: 07/07/2026, 15:13:34 UTC
Last updated: 07/07/2026, 15:58:56 UTC
Views: 5
Community Reviews
0 reviewsCrowdsource mitigation strategies, share intel context, and vote on the most helpful responses. Sign in to add your voice and help keep defenders ahead.
Want to contribute mitigation steps or threat intel context? Sign in or create an account to join the community discussion.
Actions
Updates to AI analysis require Pro Console access. Upgrade inside Console → Billing.
Need more coverage?
Upgrade to Pro Console for AI refresh and higher limits.
For incident response and remediation, OffSeq services can help resolve threats faster.
Latest Threats
Check if your credentials are on the dark web
Instant breach scanning across billions of leaked records. Free tier available.