Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessDeliver crafted compressed modulemd YAML
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Deliverylibmodulemd invokes rpmio read handler
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ExploitDecompress without cumulative size limit
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ExecutionData amplification exhausts CPU/memory
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ImpactProcess hang or crash (denial of service)
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V2 - Validation and Business Logic Compression ratio limits
|
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires a libmodulemd build compiled WITH rpmio support enabled, and a code path that decompresses compressed modulemd YAML through the custom read handler that omits a cumulative decompressed-size check before parsing. The attacker must be able to supply or influence the compressed YAML file that this parser consumes. Limiting factors: the CVSS attack vector is LOCAL (AV:L), so the input must reach the parser on the host rather than being delivered remotely by default; builds without rpmio support are not affected; and impact is limited to availability (service hang/crash) with no confidentiality or integrity compromise. No authentication or user interaction is required once a malicious file reaches the parser (PR:N/UI:N). |
| Impact | This is a moderate-severity availability-only issue, correctly scored CVSS 6.2 (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H) by Red Hat. The CVSS vector is the dominant signal: attack vector is LOCAL (AV:L), meaning the attacker must be able to deliver a malicious compressed modulemd YAML file into a parsing context on the host rather than reach it over the network - this substantially limits real-world exploitability compared to a network-facing flaw. Complexity is low and no privileges or user interaction are required (AC:L/PR:N/UI:N), but impact is confined entirely to availability (C:N/I:N/A:H) via a classic data-amplification/decompression-bomb pattern (CWE-409). No EPSS score, no CISA KEV listing, and no public proof-of-concept were provided in the input, so there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and no evidence of active exploitation. Signals are consistent rather than conflicting: a low-privilege but local-only DoS with no confidentiality/integrity impact is a genuine hardening priority for systems that ingest untrusted module metadata, but it is not an emergency and ranks below network-reachable or code-execution flaws. Note the AV:L designation should be verified against the actual deployment: if any workflow allows remote or untrusted parties to feed modulemd content to the parser (e.g., a build/repo service), the effective exposure is higher than the local vector implies. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker able to place content where libmodulemd will parse it (for example a repository or build pipeline that ingests module metadata) supplies a highly compressible compressed YAML file. When a build with rpmio support decompresses it through the custom read handler without any cumulative size cap, the small input expands into a huge decompressed stream, exhausting CPU and memory and crashing or hanging the consuming process. No public proof-of-concept was identified in the provided data. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 21, 2026
Denial of service in libmodulemd can be triggered when a build compiled with rpmio support parses a highly compressible modulemd YAML file; the custom decompression read handler does not cap cumulative decompressed output before parsing, allowing CPU and memory exhaustion that can hang or crash the consuming process. The issue is scored CVSS 6.2 with a LOCAL vector, requires no authentication or user interaction once a malicious file reaches the parser, and is associated by CPE data with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, 9, and 10 plus related OpenShift and hardened image products. No public exploit code or CISA KEV-listed active exploitation was identified in the supplied intelligence.
RemediationAI
No vendor-released patch was identified in the supplied data at time of analysis; track the Red Hat CVE page at https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-92823 and Bugzilla at https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2478703 for updated libmodulemd packages and apply them when available. As compensating controls, rebuild or deploy libmodulemd without rpmio support where compressed modulemd YAML ingestion is not required, accepting the trade-off that rpmio-backed compressed metadata paths will no longer function; or isolate processes that must parse modulemd and enforce external decompressed-size limits, RLIMIT_AS/RLIMIT_CPU, cgroup memory/CPU caps, and wall-clock timeouts before and during parsing, with the side effect that legitimate large modulemd documents may be rejected or terminated. Because the assessed vector is LOCAL, restrict filesystem write access to repository and modulemd locations so untrusted users cannot place crafted YAML where privileged consumers will parse it, and prefer signed or otherwise trusted metadata sources; this reduces exposure but can constrain trusted publishing workflows that depend on writable metadata locations.
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Technical ContextAI · show details
libmodulemd is a library for consuming module metadata, including modulemd YAML documents. The reported flaw is CWE-409, Improper Handling of Highly Compressed Data, which covers data-amplification or decompression-bomb style conditions: a small compressed input expands to an excessively large output. In affected builds where rpmio support is enabled, compressed modulemd YAML is passed through a custom read handler that fails to enforce a cumulative decompressed-size limit before parsing. The parser can therefore spend excessive CPU time and allocate excessive memory while processing attacker-supplied compressed YAML. The assessed CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H vector indicates that the input must reach the parser locally, no privileges or user interaction are required once that happens, and impact is limited to availability with no confidentiality or integrity effect. Builds without rpmio support are not affected by this specific decompression path.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Attacker must supply a local input file to the parser (AV:L) with no privileges or interaction (PR:N/UI:N); decompression bomb affects only availability, so C:N/I:N/A:H.
Primary rating from Vendor (redhat).
CVSS VectorVendor: redhat
DescriptionCVE.org
A flaw was found in libmodulemd. In builds with rpmio support enabled, compressed modulemd YAML is decompressed through a custom read handler that does not enforce a cumulative decompressed-size limit before parsing. An attacker who can supply a highly compressible compressed YAML file can cause excessive CPU and memory consumption, resulting in a denial of service.
Threat Intelligence Overview
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.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.
Affected Products (CPE)CVE.org
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