Description
A flaw was found in SSSD's IdP authentication provider. The eval_access_token_buf() function compares the OIDC subject identifier using strncmp() with the authenticated user's identifier length, performing a prefix comparison instead of an exact match. An attacker whose IdP identifier is a strict prefix of a target user's identifier can authenticate as the target user.
Published: 2026-09-09
Score: 7.5 High
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: Cross-user impersonation via OIDC subject prefix
Action: Implement Workaround
AI Analysis

Impact

A flaw in SSSD's IdP authentication provider causes the eval_access_token_buf() function to perform a prefix comparison when checking the OIDC subject identifier, allowing an attacker whose IdP identifier is a strict prefix of a valid user’s identifier to authenticate as that user. The impact is an unauthorized privileged access, as the attacker can take on the identity of a legitimate system user, potentially escalating privileges or accessing sensitive resources. The weakness is identified as CWE-187, an improper comparison flaw.

Affected Systems

Affected products are Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, 6, 7, 8, 9, and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4, as all variants use the SSSD IdP provider. The vulnerability is present in all listed Red Hat releases that ship the affected version of SSSD.

Risk and Exploitability

The CVSS score of 7.5 indicates a high impact, and while the EPSS score is not available, the vulnerability is not yet listed in the CISA KEV catalog. Exploitation requires control of the IdP to supply a crafted subject identifier and use the normal IdP‑based authentication flow to trigger the prefix comparison. Because the flaw is in the authentication layer, an attacker can perform the attack without local privileges, making it a remotely exploitable condition.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on September 9, 2026 at 18:50 UTC.

Remediation

Vendor Workaround

Deployments not using the IdP authentication provider (idp_type = keycloak) are not affected. For affected deployments: (1) If using Keycloak LDAP federation, switching to Import Users: enabled mode causes Keycloak to assign random UUIDs as sub claims, making prefix collisions astronomically unlikely. (2) Restrict PAM login to specific users via simple_allow_users or access_provider = simple. (3) Disable Keycloak self-registration to prevent attackers from creating accounts with chosen prefix usernames.


OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Switch Keycloak to Import Users mode to assign random UUIDs as subject identifiers, greatly reducing the chance of prefix collisions
  • Restrict PAM login to specific users using simple_allow_users or setting access_provider to simple
  • Disable Keycloak self‑registration to prevent attackers from creating accounts with carefully chosen prefix usernames

Generated by OpenCVE AI on September 9, 2026 at 18:50 UTC.

Tracking

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Advisories

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History

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 21:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat openshift Container Platform
Sssd
Sssd sssd
Vendors & Products Redhat openshift Container Platform
Sssd
Sssd sssd

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 15:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}


Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

threat_severity

Moderate


Wed, 09 Sep 2026 16:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description A flaw was found in SSSD's IdP authentication provider. The eval_access_token_buf() function compares the OIDC subject identifier using strncmp() with the authenticated user's identifier length, performing a prefix comparison instead of an exact match. An attacker whose IdP identifier is a strict prefix of a target user's identifier can authenticate as the target user.
Title Sssd: sssd: idp authentication prefix comparison allows cross-user impersonation
First Time appeared Redhat
Redhat enterprise Linux
Redhat openshift
Weaknesses CWE-187
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:openshift:4
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:6
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9
Vendors & Products Redhat
Redhat enterprise Linux
Redhat openshift
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}


Subscriptions

Redhat Enterprise Linux Openshift Openshift Container Platform
Sssd Sssd
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: redhat

Published:

Updated: 2026-09-10T14:56:49.929Z

Reserved: 2026-09-09T13:00:35.698Z

Link: CVE-2026-87853

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2026-09-09T18:28:47.683Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Awaiting Analysis

Published: 2026-09-09T17:17:52.827

Modified: 2026-09-10T15:17:54.240

Link: CVE-2026-87853

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Moderate

Publid Date: 2026-09-09T14:15:45Z

Links: CVE-2026-87853 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-09-10T20:47:53Z

Weaknesses
  • CWE-187

    Partial String Comparison