How severe is CVE-2026-45253?

CVE-2026-45253 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.4, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2026-45253 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (10th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-45253?

CVE-2026-45253 primarily affects Freebsd. In total, 29 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2026-45253?

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

Does CVE-2026-45253 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2026-45253 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-31257.

When was CVE-2026-45253 published?

CVE-2026-45253 was published on 2026-05-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2026-45253

CVE-2026-45253 is a high-severity vulnerability in Freebsd with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.4. 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-787.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.4)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (10th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2026-31257
Weakness: CWE-787
Affected product: Freebsd
Published: 2026-05-21
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

ptrace(PT_SC_REMOTE) failed to properly validate parameters for the syscall(2) and __syscall(2) meta-system calls. As a result, a user with the ability to debug a process may trigger arbitrary code execution in the kernel, even if the target process has no special privileges. The missing validation allows an unprivileged local user to escalate privileges, potentially gaining full control of the affected system.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-45253?: ptrace(PT_SC_REMOTE) failed to properly validate parameters for the syscall(2) and __syscall(2) meta-system calls. As a result, a user with the ability to debug a process may trigger arbitrary code execution in the kernel, even if the target process has no special privileges. The missing validation allows an unprivileged local user to escalate privileges, potentially gaining full control of the affected system.
How severe is CVE-2026-45253?: CVE-2026-45253 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.4, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2026-45253 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (10th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-45253?: CVE-2026-45253 primarily affects Freebsd. In total, 29 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2026-45253?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
Does CVE-2026-45253 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2026-45253 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-31257.
When was CVE-2026-45253 published?: CVE-2026-45253 was published on 2026-05-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://security.freebsd.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-26:21.ptrace.asc

Affected products (29)

cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p10:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p11:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p12:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p13:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p6:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p7:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p8:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p9:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.4:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.4:p1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.4:p2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.4:p3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.4:p4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.4:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p6:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p7:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p8:*:*:*:*:*:*

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