The flaw allows an unprivileged local user to repeatedly request master automount map updates through the autofs responder because the responder does not check authorization. Each request forces global cache invalidation, leading to repeated lookups to backend directory providers, raising CPU and memory usage, and making the automount system unstable. The result is a denial of service where legitimate automount operations fail or are delayed, potentially disrupting file access and application functionality. The weakness is characterized by the Common Weakness enumeration CWE‑408, improper authorization checks.

Affected systems include Red Hat Enterprise Linux releases 6 through 10 and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4. The issue resides in the SSSD component that ships with those distributions. No specific minor version numbers are listed, so any installation containing the affected SSSD package is potentially vulnerable.

Because the vulnerability requires a local unprivileged user that can execute arbitrary commands, an attacker must have the ability to log in or run programs on the host. Once achieved, repeated requests can exhaust system resources or produce inconsistent automount state. The CVSS base score of 5.5 indicates a moderate impact. With no known exploits, the real‑world likelihood is limited, but the denial of service can be disruptive to services relying on automount.