libssh GSSAPI Key Exchange CVE-2026-59842: OOB Heap Read Vulnerability
CVE-2026-59842 Published on July 21, 2026
Libssh: libssh: information disclosure via short gssapi curve25519 public key
A flaw was found in libssh. During server-side GSSAPI key exchange, a client-supplied Curve25519 public key shorter than the expected length is copied without proper length validation, leading to an out-of-bounds heap read. This could allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to disclose small amounts of server memory.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2026-59842 is exploitable with network access, and does not require authorization privileges or user interaction. This vulnerability is consided to have a high level of attack complexity. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to have a small impact on confidentiality, a small impact on integrity and availability.
Timeline
Reported to Red Hat.
Made public. 83 days later.
Weakness Type
Out-of-bounds Read
The software reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer. Typically, this can allow attackers to read sensitive information from other memory locations or cause a crash. A crash can occur when the code reads a variable amount of data and assumes that a sentinel exists to stop the read operation, such as a NUL in a string. The expected sentinel might not be located in the out-of-bounds memory, causing excessive data to be read, leading to a segmentation fault or a buffer overflow. The software may modify an index or perform pointer arithmetic that references a memory location that is outside of the boundaries of the buffer. A subsequent read operation then produces undefined or unexpected results.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-59842
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