Openssh: double free in red hat enterprise linux versions of openssh dh-gex client path during fips known-group validation leads to client-side denial of service

Primary CVSS: v3.1 6.5 MEDIUM from [email protected]

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS: 0.005950000 probability, percentile 0.471960000 (date 2026-10-14)

Problem Types: CWE-415 | CWE-415 Double Free

Discovery Credit

CNA: This issue was discovered by In partnership with Red Hat (Aisle.com). (en)

Workarounds

CNA: To mitigate this issue, OpenSSH clients operating in FIPS mode should avoid negotiating the `diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha256` key exchange algorithm. This can be achieved by explicitly listing allowed key exchange algorithms in the client's SSH configuration file (e.g., `/etc/ssh/ssh_config` or `~/.ssh/config`), ensuring `diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha256` is *not* included. For example, to use a subset of common algorithms, you might configure: ``` KexAlgorithms [email protected],ecdh-sha2-nistp256,ecdh-sha2-nistp384,ecdh-sha2-nistp521,diffie-hellman-group14-sha1 ``` (Note: The above example `KexAlgorithms` list is illustrative and should be adjusted based on your environment's security requirements.) Additionally, avoid using non-fatal client flows, such as `ssh-keyscan`, against untrusted SSH servers while FIPS mode is enabled. Changes to `ssh_config` will take effect for new SSH connections.