CVE-2026-59851: Incorrect Authorization in Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
A flaw was found in libssh. On servers with GSSAPIKeyExchange enabled, the gssapi-keyex path does not verify whether the authenticated Kerberos principal is authorized for the requested local user, allowing authenticated clients to log in as arbitrary users.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The vulnerability CVE-2026-59851 affects libssh in Red Hat Hardened Images. It arises because the gssapi-keyex authentication method does not properly check whether the authenticated Kerberos principal is authorized to access the requested local user account. This incorrect authorization allows authenticated clients to bypass intended access controls and log in as arbitrary users. The issue is present when GSSAPIKeyExchange is enabled on the server. Red Hat has issued an update to libssh packages (libssh-0.12.1-4.hum1) to fix this flaw.
Potential Impact
An attacker who can authenticate via GSSAPIKeyExchange can impersonate any local user on the affected system, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data and system privileges. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as indicated by the CVSS score of 8.8 with high impact on all three metrics.
Mitigation Recommendations
Red Hat has released updated libssh packages (libssh-0.12.1-4.hum1) for Red Hat Hardened Images that fix this vulnerability. Users should apply these updates promptly to remediate the issue. Detailed update instructions are available at https://images.redhat.com/. No alternative mitigations or workarounds are specified in the advisory.
CVE-2026-59851: Incorrect Authorization in Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
Description
A flaw was found in libssh. On servers with GSSAPIKeyExchange enabled, the gssapi-keyex path does not verify whether the authenticated Kerberos principal is authorized for the requested local user, allowing authenticated clients to log in as arbitrary users.
CVSS v3.1
Score 8.8high
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The vulnerability CVE-2026-59851 affects libssh in Red Hat Hardened Images. It arises because the gssapi-keyex authentication method does not properly check whether the authenticated Kerberos principal is authorized to access the requested local user account. This incorrect authorization allows authenticated clients to bypass intended access controls and log in as arbitrary users. The issue is present when GSSAPIKeyExchange is enabled on the server. Red Hat has issued an update to libssh packages (libssh-0.12.1-4.hum1) to fix this flaw.
Potential Impact
An attacker who can authenticate via GSSAPIKeyExchange can impersonate any local user on the affected system, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data and system privileges. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as indicated by the CVSS score of 8.8 with high impact on all three metrics.
Mitigation Recommendations
Red Hat has released updated libssh packages (libssh-0.12.1-4.hum1) for Red Hat Hardened Images that fix this vulnerability. Users should apply these updates promptly to remediate the issue. Detailed update instructions are available at https://images.redhat.com/. No alternative mitigations or workarounds are specified in the advisory.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- redhat
- Date Reserved
- 2026-07-07T15:40:24.561Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
- Vendor Advisory Urls
- [{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-59851","vendor":"Red Hat"}]
Threat ID: 6a5f856e2a4a8d59894725f6
Added to database: 07/21/2026, 14:42:54 UTC
Last enriched: 07/30/2026, 09:37:49 UTC
Last updated: 09/04/2026, 22:52:13 UTC
Views: 72
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