CVE-2026-68743: Sssd: sssd: pam responder out-of-bounds read via unchecked auth_token_length in protocol v1
A flaw was found in SSSD. The extractauthtokv1() function in the PAM responder (src/responder/pam/pamsrvcmd.c) reads a 32-bit authtokenlength from the client request but does not validate it against the remaining buffer size before passing it to sssauthtoksetpassword(). When sssauthtoksetstring() processes the token, it accesses str[len-1] using the unvalidated length, resulting in a heap-buffer-overflow read. A local attacker can trigger this by connecting to the world-writable PAM responder socket (/var/lib/sss/pipes/pam) and sending a crafted protocol v1 authentication request with an oversized authtokenlength value. The stock PAM client uses protocol v3, so this is only reachable via raw socket access. Protocol v2 includes an equivalent bounds check (c+datasize > blen), which is missing from v1. Successful exploitation crashes the sssdpam responder, causing a denial of service for SSSD-mediated authentication. Reported via PSIRTSUPT-20553 by BreachX Zero Day Labs.
Other sources
A flaw was found in SSSD. The extractauthtokv1() function in the PAM responder does not validate the authtokenlength field against the remaining buffer size before processing. A local attacker can exploit this via a crafted protocol v1 request to the PAM responder socket, causing an out-of-bounds read and process crash, resulting in a denial of service.
— NVD
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2026-68743?
The severity of CVE-2026-68743 is rated as medium with a score of 5.5.
What are the potential impacts of CVE-2026-68743?
CVE-2026-68743 can lead to an out-of-bounds read, potentially allowing a local attacker to exploit the PAM responder.
How do I fix CVE-2026-68743?
To fix CVE-2026-68743, you should apply the latest security patches provided by your software vendor.
Who is affected by CVE-2026-68743?
CVE-2026-68743 affects systems running the SSSD software that utilize the PAM responder in protocol v1.
Can CVE-2026-68743 be exploited remotely?
No, CVE-2026-68743 requires local access to exploit the vulnerability.