CVE-2026-44931
Description
A flaw was found in malcontent. The newly introduced RecordUsage D-Bus (Desktop Bus) method in malcontent-timerd allows any user on the system to slowly consume disk space in the /var/lib/malcontent-timerd directory. This can lead to a Denial of Service (DoS) by exhausting available disk resources, preventing legitimate system operations.
Statement
Red Hat Product Security has determined that this vulnerability does not affect any currently supported Red Hat product. This assessment may evolve based on further analysis and discovery. For more information about this vulnerability and the products it affects, please see the linked references.
Mitigation
The `malcontent-timerd` service can be masked to prevent its execution, thereby mitigating the ability for local users to exploit the `RecordUsage` D-Bus method. This action may affect functionality related to content management and usage tracking.
To mask the service:
`sudo systemctl mask malcontent-timerd.service`
To revert this change:
`sudo systemctl unmask malcontent-timerd.service`
A system restart or service reload may be required for the changes to take full effect.
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU); DoS: Resource Consumption (Memory); DoS: Resource Consumption (Other)
When allocating resources without limits, an attacker could prevent other systems, applications, or processes from accessing the same type of resource. It can be easy for an attacker to consume many resources by rapidly making many requests or causing larger resources to be used than is needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
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