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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Obtain AD GPO management access
  2. Delivery
    Craft GPO with '..' in gPCFileSysPath
  3. Exploit
    SSSD applies policy on target host
  4. Execution
    Path traversal writes file as root outside cache
  5. Persist
    Inject malicious Kerberos configuration
  6. Impact
    Bypass authentication on host

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
CWE-23
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling Relative path traversal prevention
Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires that the target host is joined to Active Directory and uses SSSD's AD GPO provider (GPO-based access control enabled), and that the attacker holds AD GPO management/write access allowing modification of a GPO's gPCFileSysPath LDAP attribute. The described root-level authentication-bypass impact is characterized on default RHEL configurations with SELinux enforcing. Limiting factors: this is not remotely exploitable by an unauthenticated actor - it needs high AD privileges (PR:H) plus high attack complexity (AC:H, e.g., knowledge of on-host cache/config paths), and hosts that do not use the AD GPO provider are not affected.
Impact

The supplied CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H, base 8.0) reflects a high-impact but access-gated flaw: network vector via LDAP, but high attack complexity and high privileges required, offset by a changed scope and full CIA impact because a GPO-management actor pivots to root on client hosts. The gating factor - PR:H, meaning the attacker already holds AD GPO management/write access - is the dominant risk limiter; this is a trusted-insider or post-AD-compromise escalation path rather than an anonymous remote exploit. No EPSS score, POC, or KEV status was provided; absence of these signals plus AC:H/PR:H suggests this is not a mass-exploitation candidate but is serious in AD-integrated Linux estates where GPO delegation is broad or AD is already partially compromised. No conflicting signals were observed in the input, though EPSS and SSVC data are simply missing rather than contradictory.
Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who has obtained AD GPO management rights - an over-privileged helpdesk admin, or an adversary who has already compromised a delegated AD account - crafts a GPO whose gPCFileSysPath attribute contains '..' traversal sequences pointing outside the SSSD GPO cache. When an AD-joined RHEL host running SSSD applies the policy, SSSD writes attacker-controlled content as root to a sensitive location such as Kerberos configuration, enabling an authentication bypass on that host. No public proof-of-concept is identified at time of analysis, and the high attack complexity means reliable exploitation requires precise knowledge of the target's paths.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
No patch listed yet 0.7% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Jul 07, 2026

Privilege escalation to root and Kerberos-based authentication bypass in SSSD's Active Directory GPO provider affects Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 through 10 and OpenShift Container Platform 4. Because ad_gpo_extract_smb_components() fails to sanitize '..' sequences in the gPCFileSysPath LDAP attribute (CWE-23), an actor holding AD GPO management rights can force an SSSD-enrolled host to write attacker-controlled files outside the GPO cache as root, injecting Kerberos configuration to bypass authentication. There is no public exploit identified at time of analysis, and the flaw is not listed in CISA KEV.

RemediationAI

No vendor-released patched package version is identified in the provided data; monitor and apply the Red Hat errata referenced at https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-14476 and Bugzilla https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2496581 as soon as fixed sssd packages are published, then update all AD-joined RHEL and OpenShift 4 hosts. As compensating controls until patched: tighten Active Directory delegation so that only a minimal, trusted set of administrators can create or modify GPOs and edit the gPCFileSysPath attribute (removing the PR:H prerequisite for most actors); where feasible, disable the SSSD AD GPO provider or set ad_gpo_access_control to a mode that does not process untrusted GPO paths (trade-off: loss of GPO-based host access enforcement); and audit AD for unexpected GPO changes and SSSD hosts for unexpected root-owned files or altered krb5 configuration. Keep SELinux enforcing, but note it does not prevent this specific abuse on default configurations.

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Technical ContextAI · show details

SSSD (System Security Services Daemon) is the standard Linux service that integrates hosts with Active Directory and LDAP for identity, authentication, and access-control policy. Its AD GPO provider retrieves Group Policy Objects over LDAP and SMB to enforce host-based access control (e.g., interactive-logon rights). The vulnerable path is ad_gpo_extract_smb_components(), which parses the gPCFileSysPath LDAP attribute of a GPO to derive an SMB path and a local cache location. Because the function does not neutralize directory-traversal ('..') sequences (CWE-23, Relative Path Traversal), a maliciously crafted gPCFileSysPath value can escape the intended GPO cache directory. Since SSSD runs as root, this becomes an arbitrary file write as root, and on default RHEL deployments with SELinux enforcing the practical impact is injection of Kerberos (krb5) configuration to subvert authentication decisions.

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Severity by source

Vendor (redhat) PRIMARY 8.0 HIGH
AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 8.0 HIGH

Attacker needs AD GPO write access (PR:H) and target-path knowledge (AC:H) over LDAP (AV:N); root file write from a GPO-management context crosses a trust boundary (S:C) with full host CIA impact.

3.1 AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H
SUSE HIGH
Red Hat 8.0 MEDIUM

Primary rating from Vendor (redhat).

CVSS VectorVendor: redhat

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
High
Privileges Required
High
User Interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

DescriptionCVE.org

A path traversal flaw was found in SSSD's AD GPO provider. The ad_gpo_extract_smb_components() function does not sanitize .. sequences in the gPCFileSysPath LDAP attribute, allowing an attacker with AD GPO management access to write files outside the GPO cache directory as root. On default RHEL configurations with SELinux enforcing, this can be used to inject Kerberos configuration leading to authentication bypass.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

SSSD's Active Directory GPO provider contains a privilege escalation and authentication bypass vulnerability (CVE-2026-14476, CVSS 8.0) affecting Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6-10 and OpenShift Container Platform 4 systems integrated with Active Directory. Attackers with AD GPO management rights can escalate privileges to root and inject malicious Kerberos configurations, enabling unauthorized access to critical systems. With no vendor patch currently available and no public exploit identified at time of analysis, immediate mitigation is required for environments dependent on SSSD for identity and access management.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: (1) restrict AD GPO management rights to least-privilege accounts only; (2) implement file integrity monitoring on GPO cache directories (/var/lib/sssd/gpo_cache); (3) disable SSSD AD GPO provider if operationally feasible via 'use_gpo = False' in sssd.conf; (4) enforce network segmentation limiting GPO configuration sources; (5) increase monitoring and alerting for Kerberos configuration modifications; (6) conduct immediate AD audit for suspicious GPO management activities.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.7%
Top 52% exploitable
Prevalence
High
SSSD is the default AD/LDAP integration daemon across enterprise RHEL fleets
Social Media
1
Sightings
Data Quality
7 sources
Confidence: High
EUVD NVD CVE.org EPSS Vulnrichment Vendor CIRCL VulDB

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.7%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

41
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: +1
CVSS: +40
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Authentication Bypass CRITICAL

Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.

Path Traversal HIGH

Path traversal exploits occur when applications use user-controlled input to construct file system paths without proper validation.

Affected Products (CPE)CVE.org

cpe:2.3:a:red_hat:red_hat_enterprise_linux_10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:red_hat:red_hat_enterprise_linux_6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:red_hat:red_hat_enterprise_linux_7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:red_hat:red_hat_enterprise_linux_8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:red_hat:red_hat_enterprise_linux_9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:red_hat:red_hat_openshift_container_platform_4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: Important
Product Status
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-ESPOS Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-LTSS Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5-ESPOS Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5-LTSS Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 Affected

References

Advisories & patches
ADVISORY https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-14476 ADVISORY https://vuldb.com/vuln/376626 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:41937 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:42122 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:46482 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:46990 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:49839 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:49840 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:49841 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:49842 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:49843 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:49844 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:50109 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:54187 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:54553 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:54581 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:54599 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:54769 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:56786 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:56853 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:56911 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:57483 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:59831 REF https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:60019 REF https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-14476 REF https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2496581

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