CVE-2026-85498
Polkit: regression in cve-2026-4897 fix (polkit read_cookie()) - stack buffer underflow
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- redhat
Description
A flaw was found in polkit. When processing input that begins with a null byte, an arithmetic error in the authentication agent helper causes an integer underflow during buffer length calculation, resulting in an out-of-bounds memory read. An attacker capable of supplying crafted input can trigger this flaw, potentially causing an application crash and resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS).
Timeline
ID reserved
By redhat
- 55 days later
· 55 days later
Published
- 8 days later
· 8 days later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| redhatCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | Low3.5 | CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L |
| NVDNVD · Awaiting Analysis | 3.1 | Low3.5 | CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.26% · top 82% of all CVEs (7 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: none · Automatable: no · Technical impact: partial
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Low 3.5.
Weakness
Affected products
Red Hat · Red Hat Hardened Images
- unaffected 127-5.1.hum1 – < *
Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
All versions: affected
Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
All versions: affected
Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
All versions: affected
Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
All versions: affected
Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
All versions: affected
Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
All versions: affected
Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
All versions: affected
Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
All versions: affected
Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
All versions: affected
Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
All versions: affected
Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
All versions: affected
Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
All versions: affected
Red Hat · Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
All versions: affected
Red Hat · Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
All versions: affected
Red Hat · Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5
All versions: affected
What to do
Workaround: Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the criteria for a mitigation as defined by the Red Hat Product Security team. This flaw remains subject to future review as new information becomes available. Exposure is limited: the defect is reachable only by a local/adjacent low-privileged user interacting with the polkit authentication agent and results at most in a crash (availability) of the affected process.
References (3)
- RHSA-2026:66287 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-85498 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_REDHAT
- RHBZ#2528347 (opens in a new tab)issue-trackingx_refsource_REDHAT
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2026-85498)Record last updated .