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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Deliver crafted SCAP datastream to victim
  2. Delivery
    User/pipeline runs OpenSCAP decompose
  3. Exploit
    Path traversal in relative file paths
  4. Execution
    Write files outside target directory
  5. Impact
    Overwrite config or scripts as process user

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling Path canonicalization, traversal prevention
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Discovery, Collection

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires that the victim (a user or an automated system) actively decompose/split an attacker-crafted SCAP Source DataStream (SDS) file - for example via OpenSCAP's datastream split operation. The specific trigger is OpenSCAP's failure to validate relative file path attributes during SDS decomposition, so the attacker must supply a datastream containing directory traversal sequences. Limiting factors: the vector is LOCAL (AV:L) and demands user interaction (UI:R), so there is no remote, unauthenticated, default-configuration attack path - the attacker cannot proceed without the target choosing to process the malicious datastream, and the resulting file write is bounded by the permissions of the executing process.

Impact

This is a moderate-severity path traversal (CWE-22) with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.1 and a vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L) that materially constrains real-world risk despite the HIGH integrity impact. The attack vector is LOCAL with REQUIRED user interaction (UI:R), meaning exploitation is not remotely triggerable on its own - an attacker must convince a user or an automated pipeline to decompose a maliciously crafted Source DataStream file. No EPSS score, CISA KEV listing, or public POC was provided in the input, so there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and no evidence of active exploitation. Weighing the signals together: this is a credible but not urgent issue - the HIGH integrity impact (arbitrary file write with the running process's privileges) is the main concern, but the LOCAL vector plus mandatory social-engineering/supply-of-input step keeps it well below drop-everything priority. There is no conflict between the CVSS vector and the description; both agree exploitation hinges on a victim processing attacker-supplied content. Key missing signals: EPSS probability, KEV status, and POC availability are all absent and should be monitored, particularly because OpenSCAP is frequently invoked by automated compliance pipelines that could ingest untrusted datastreams.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker crafts a malicious SCAP Source DataStream containing relative path traversal sequences (e.g. ../../) in its file path attributes and gets it ingested by a target - for example by submitting it to an automated OpenSCAP compliance-scanning pipeline or tricking an administrator into running oscap ds sds-split on it. When the application decomposes the datastream without validating the relative paths, it writes component files outside the intended output directory with the privileges of the scanning process, enabling unauthorized creation or overwriting of files such as scripts, cron entries, or configuration. No public exploit code is identified at time of analysis, but the technique is well-understood path traversal.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
No patch listed yet 0.3% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 21, 2026

Path traversal in OpenSCAP's Source DataStream (SDS) decomposition can allow a crafted datastream to create or modify files outside the intended output directory with the permissions of the process performing the decomposition. The issue affects OpenSCAP as shipped in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 through 10 and Red Hat Hardened Images; exploitation is local and requires the victim user or automated system to decompose an attacker-supplied SDS containing directory traversal sequences. No public exploit code or CISA KEV entry was identified at time of analysis, and the CVSS 3.1 score is 6.1 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L).

RemediationAI

No vendor-released patch was identified in the available data at time of analysis; monitor the Red Hat advisory at https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-85518 and Bugzilla at https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2478522 for a fixed OpenSCAP package and apply it when released. Until then, avoid decomposing SDS files from untrusted sources and require datastreams to come from trusted, verified repositories. If decomposition must be performed, run OpenSCAP under a dedicated low-privilege account inside a container or sandbox whose filesystem is read-only except for the intended output directory; this limits traversal impact but may break workflows that legitimately need to write elsewhere. Pre-screen SDS content for suspicious relative path attributes such as ../ or unexpected absolute paths before decomposition, recognizing that this is a best-effort check rather than a reliable fix, and use SELinux or AppArmor confinement to restrict writable paths, with the trade-off of policy maintenance and possible denial of legitimate writes.

Affects your stack

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Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

OpenSCAP processes SCAP Source DataStream (SDS) files, which bundle multiple SCAP components into a single XML datastream; decomposition extracts those components to files on disk. CVE-2026-85518 is a CWE-22 path traversal caused by missing validation of relative file path attributes during SDS decomposition, so a malicious datastream can use ../ sequences to direct writes outside the intended target directory. The CVSS vector is local (AV:L), low complexity (AC:L), requires no privileges (PR:N, unauthenticated), and requires user interaction (UI:R); impact is limited to integrity (I:H) and availability (A:L) with no confidentiality impact (C:N). CPE data identifies Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 plus Red Hat Hardened Images as affected products, with OpenSCAP as the vulnerable component.

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Severity by source

Vendor (redhat) PRIMARY 6.1 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L
vuln.today AI 6.1 MEDIUM

Attacker needs no privileges but the victim must actively decompose a supplied datastream, so AV:L and UI:R; arbitrary file write gives I:H with possible overwrite causing A:L, no read so C:N.

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:H/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (redhat).

CVSS VectorVendor: redhat

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
Low

DescriptionCVE.org

A flaw was found in OpenSCAP. When decomposing a Source DataStream (SDS) file, the application does not properly validate relative file path attributes, leading to a path traversal vulnerability. An attacker can exploit this flaw by tricking a user or automated system into decomposing a crafted datastream containing directory traversal sequences. Successful exploitation allows unauthorized file creation or modification outside the intended target directory with the permissions of the executing process.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 82% exploitable
Prevalence
Medium
standard RHEL compliance scanner, common in regulated enterprise Linux, not universal
Social Media
1
Sightings
Data Quality
4 sources
Confidence: Medium

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 MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.3%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
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· derived
Defer
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact· derived
Medium

Priority Score

30
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +30
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

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_hardened_images:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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