Libkcapi: infinite loop denial of service in libkcapi _kcapi_aio_read_all() due to unhandled io_getevents() timeout return
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-71227 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | redhat |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-08-05 13:24:47 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-08-10 10:17:33 UTC |
| Description | A flaw was found in libkcapi. A local attacker can influence an application that uses the Asynchronous Input/Output (AIO) interface. By reusing an AIO-enabled handle after a prior completion error, the _kcapi_aio_read_all() function can enter a non-terminating wait loop. This can lead to a persistent denial of service, making the affected application or thread unresponsive. |
Risk And Classification
Primary CVSS: v3.1 5.1 MEDIUM from [email protected]
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
EPSS: 0.001070000 probability, percentile 0.012950000 (date 2026-08-09)
Problem Types: CWE-835 | CWE-835 Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')
| Version | Source | Type | Score | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | [email protected] | Secondary | 5.1 | MEDIUM | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
| 3.1 | CNA | CVSS | 5.1 | MEDIUM | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
CVSS v3.1 Breakdown
Attack Vector
LocalAttack Complexity
HighPrivileges Required
NoneUser Interaction
NoneScope
UnchangedConfidentiality
NoneIntegrity
NoneAvailability
HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Vendor Declared Affected Products
| Source | Vendor | Product | Version | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | Stephan Muelle | Libkcapi | affected 0.12.0 1.5.1 semver | Not specified |
| CNA | Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Not specified | Not specified |
| CNA | Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Not specified | Not specified |
| CNA | Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Not specified | Not specified |
| CNA | Red Hat | Red Hat Hardened Images | Not specified | Not specified |
| CNA | Red Hat | Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Not specified | Not specified |
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi | [email protected] | bugzilla.redhat.com | |
| access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-71227 | [email protected] | access.redhat.com | |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
Vendor Comments And Credit
Discovery Credit
CNA: This issue was discovered by Found by AISLE in partnership with Red Hat. (en)
Additional Advisory Data
| Source | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| CNA | 2026-04-26T20:17:44.000Z | Reported to Red Hat. |
| CNA | 2026-08-05T12:29:09.516Z | Made public. |
Workarounds
CNA: To mitigate this issue, applications should avoid initializing `libkcapi` handles with `KCAPI_INIT_AIO` if AIO functionality is not strictly required. If AIO must be used, applications should destroy and reinitialize `libkcapi` handles after any AIO completion error, rather than reusing them for subsequent AIO operations.
There are currently no legacy QID mappings associated with this CVE.