CVE-2026-46333
Description
A vulnerability was found in the Linux kernel that allows an unprivileged local user to read sensitive files normally restricted to the root user. The flaw occurs during process exit, where a brief window allows an attacker to intercept file access from a privileged process before it fully terminates. Successful exploitation may lead to the disclosure of sensitive data such as SSH host private keys or /etc/shadow contents.
Security Bulletin
Statement
This is an Important flaw in the Linux kernel that allows a local unprivileged attacker to read root-owned files. The vulnerability arises from a race condition during process termination, enabling a brief window where sensitive data, such as SSH host private keys or /etc/shadow contents, can be disclosed. This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information on affected Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems.
In OpenShift Container Platform 4, this flaw is rated Low. The default restricted-v2 Security Context Constraint (SCC) sets allowPrivilegeEscalation: false on all pods, which causes the kernel to ignore setuid file bits and prevents target binaries from opening privileged files, breaking the exploit chain entirely. Under non-default SCCs such as anyuid that permit privilege escalation, the vulnerability is constrained by PID and mount namespace isolation to the container's own filesystem. An attacker would only be able to access root-owned files already within the container, not host or cross-pod resources. In practice, containers rarely contain sensitive root-owned files that are not already accessible to the pod user through normal means.
Mitigation
See the security bulletin for a detailed mitigation procedure.
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).
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 7.8 | N/A | 7.8 |
| 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 | High | N/A | High |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | High |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Access Control
Technical Impact: Gain Privileges or Assume Identity
Frequently Asked Questions
Not sure what something means? Check out our Security Glossary.
Want to get errata notifications? Sign up here.
