CVE-2026-4631
Cockpit's remote login feature passes user-supplied hostnames and usernames from the web interface to the SSH client without validation or sanitization.
Does this matter?
EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 15.5%, higher than 97% of all known CVEs. Patch or mitigate before the next change window.
Description
Cockpit's remote login feature passes user-supplied hostnames and usernames from the web interface to the SSH client without validation or sanitization. An attacker with network access to the Cockpit web service can craft a single HTTP request to the login endpoint that injects malicious SSH options or shell commands, achieving code execution on the Cockpit host without valid credentials. The injection occurs during the authentication flow before any credential verification takes place, meaning no login is required to exploit the vulnerability.
- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 CRITICALCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 15.48% probability · 97th percentile
- Public exploits
- 1 in Exploit-DB · first 21 May 2026
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-78
- Source
- secalert@redhat.com
EPSS moved from 9.2% on 24 September 2026 to 15.5% on 26 October 2026. The dashed line is the ten per cent mark our analysts treat as “patch before the next change window”.
Public exploits (1)
Entries in Exploit-DB that cite this CVE. Links go to the Exploit-DB page and to the file in the public repository; nothing is hosted here. A verified tick means the Exploit-DB team confirmed the exploit works against the stated version.
References
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2026:21387
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2026:21388
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:7381
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:7382
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:7383
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:7384
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-4631
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2450246
- https://github.com/cockpit-project/cockpit/security/advisories/GHSA-m4gv-x78h-3427
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/04/10/5
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:7381
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:7382
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:7383
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:7384
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-4631
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2450246
- https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-4631.json
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.