CVE-2026-18103
Description
A flaw was found in dhcp-server. A remote attacker with network access to the OMAPI (Open Management Application Programming Interface) port, especially if not secured with TSIG (Transaction Signature) key authentication, could send a specially crafted lease creation request. This request, containing an overly long InfiniBand MAC address, triggers a buffer overflow in the print_hw_addr() function. Successful exploitation leads to a persistent denial of service (DoS), causing the dhcpd service to crash and preventing it from restarting without manual intervention.
Statement
This flaw has Moderate impact. A buffer overflow in the dhcpd service, exploitable via the OMAPI port (7911), can lead to a persistent denial of service. Exploitation requires network access to the OMAPI port, and if TSIG key authentication is not configured, no further credentials are needed. Successful exploitation crashes the dhcpd service, preventing its restart without manual intervention.
Mitigation
To mitigate this issue, secure OMAPI access by configuring TSIG key authentication to prevent unauthorized connections to the OMAPI port (7911). If the `dhcpd` service has already crashed due to this flaw, manually remove the problematic InfiniBand lease entry from `/var/lib/dhcpd/dhcpd.leases` and then restart the `dhcpd` service. Restarting the `dhcpd` service may temporarily interrupt DHCP services for clients.
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 | 4.9 | N/A | 4.9 |
| Attack Vector | Network | N/A | Network |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | High | N/A | High |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | None | N/A | None |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | None |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity,Confidentiality,Availability
Technical Impact: Modify Memory; Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
Buffer overflows often can be used to execute arbitrary code, which is usually outside the scope of the product's implicit security policy. This can often be used to subvert any other security service.
Availability
Technical Impact: Modify Memory; DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart; DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU)
Buffer overflows generally lead to crashes. Other attacks leading to lack of availability are possible, including putting the product into an infinite loop.
Acknowledgements
This issue was discovered by Martin Osvald (Red Hat).
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