CVE-2026-116259
Description
A flaw was found in libimobiledevice. A local attacker can trigger this vulnerability by supplying a manipulated value argument to the afc_get_device_info_key function in the device information handler. This issue leads to memory corruption, which can result in application crashes or a Denial of Service (DoS).
Statement
This vulnerability is rated as Moderate impact because exploitation requires local access and remains confined to the user privileges of the process communicating with an attached Apple device. In Red Hat Enterprise Linux, libimobiledevice is predominantly utilized within desktop workstation environments to support mobile device integration rather than standard headless server deployments. Consequently, any potential exploitation is limited to localized denial of service or application crashes during active device queries without exposing broader host services.
Mitigation
Avoid connecting untrusted Apple mobile devices to the host system. If mobile device integration is not required, remove the libimobiledevice package:
# dnf remove libimobiledevice
Warning: Removing libimobiledevice may also prompt the removal of dependent desktop integration packages such as gvfs-afc or related GNOME utilities, which can impact graphical environment functionality. Server installations managed remotely via terminal or SSH remain unaffected by the removal of these packages.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 5.3 | N/A | 5.3 |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | Local |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | Low | N/A | Low |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | Low | N/A | Low |
| Integrity Impact | Low | N/A | Low |
| Availability Impact | Low | N/A | Low |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L/E:P/RC:C
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity
Technical Impact: Modify Memory; Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
Write operations could cause memory corruption. In some cases, an adversary can modify control data such as return addresses in order to execute unexpected code.
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
Attempting to access out-of-range, invalid, or unauthorized memory could cause the product to crash.
Other
Technical Impact: Unexpected State
Subsequent write operations can produce undefined or unexpected results.
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