How severe is CVE-2026-11861?

CVE-2026-11861 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.6, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2026-11861 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (12th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-11861?

CVE-2026-11861 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2026-11861?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2026-11861 published?

CVE-2026-11861 was published on 2026-08-20 and last updated on 2026-09-28.

CVE-2026-11861

CVE-2026-11861 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.6. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-266.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.6)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (12th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-266
Affected product: Redhat Enterprise Linux
Published: 2026-08-20
Last modified: 2026-09-28

Description

A flaw was found in FreeIPA. When a trust relationship is configured between FreeIPA and Active Directory, Active Directory users can bypass authentication for FreeIPA services, including the portal, SMB server, and LDAP directory. This is possible by impersonating a client name in the Ticket Granting Service (TGS) due to FreeIPA services not verifying Privilege Attribute Certificate (PAC) certificates. This vulnerability could allow an authenticated Active Directory user to escalate their privileges within the FreeIPA domain.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-11861?: A flaw was found in FreeIPA. When a trust relationship is configured between FreeIPA and Active Directory, Active Directory users can bypass authentication for FreeIPA services, including the portal, SMB server, and LDAP directory. This is possible by impersonating a client name in the Ticket Granting Service (TGS) due to FreeIPA services not verifying Privilege Attribute Certificate (PAC) certificates. This vulnerability could allow an authenticated Active Directory user to escalate their privileges within the FreeIPA domain.
How severe is CVE-2026-11861?: CVE-2026-11861 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.6, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2026-11861 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (12th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-11861?: CVE-2026-11861 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2026-11861?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2026-11861 published?: CVE-2026-11861 was published on 2026-08-20 and last updated on 2026-09-28.

References

Affected products (5)

cpe:2.3:a:freeipa:freeipa:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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