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Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-18798

🗓️ 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 6 Views

OpenSSL QUIC server double frees QRX object when channel creation fails, causing DoS.

Related
Refs
Code
ReporterTitlePublishedViews
Family
alpinelinux
AlpineLinux
CVE-2026-18798
25 Aug 202612:59
alpinelinux
circl
Circl
CVE-2026-18798
25 Aug 202615:58
circl
cve
CVE
CVE-2026-18798
25 Aug 202612:59
cve
cvelist
Cvelist
CVE-2026-18798 QUIC Server May Trigger Double Free When Processing INITIAL Packet
25 Aug 202612:59
cvelist
debian
Debian
[SECURITY] [DSA 6465-1] openssl security update
25 Aug 202618:58
debian
debiancve
Debian CVE
CVE-2026-18798
25 Aug 202612:59
debiancve
nessus
Tenable Nessus
Debian dsa-6465 : libcrypto3-udeb - security update
25 Aug 202600:00
nessus
nessus
Tenable Nessus
OpenSSL 3.5.0 < 3.5.8 Multiple Vulnerabilities
13 Aug 202600:00
nessus
nessus
Tenable Nessus
OpenSSL 3.6.0 < 3.6.4 Multiple Vulnerabilities
5 Aug 202600:00
nessus
nessus
Tenable Nessus
OpenSSL 4.0.0 < 4.0.2 Multiple Vulnerabilities
5 Aug 202600:00
nessus
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#%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80900
##
# (C) Tenable, Inc.
##

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(339477);
  script_version("1.5");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2026/08/27");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2026-18798");

  script_name(english:"Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-18798");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be
patched.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied
patch available.

  - Issue summary: QUIC server may double free QRX (QUIC record layer RX) object when channel creation fails
    for initial packet. Impact summary: Double free leads to heap corruption, which typically results in
    termination of QUIC server process, leading to Denial of Service. There is so far no evidence that this
    double free is exploitable for remote code execution, thus it is considered highly improbable. CWE:
    CWE-415: Double Free Description: In order to validate initial packet, OpenSSL QUIC stack default packet
    handler (port_default_packet_handler()) creates a so-called QRX object. If the initial packet validates
    successfully with QRX object, the default packet handler proceeds to channel (connection object) creation.
    The QRX object used for packet validation is passed to port_bind_channel(), so it becomes part of the
    newly created connection. If port_bind_channel() fails, then it also frees the QRX object. Once
    port_bind_channel() returns, the port_default_packet_handler() detects the failure and proceeds to the
    error branch, where the same QRX object is freed for the second time. The failure in port_bind_channel()
    function can be induced with a relatively low effort by a malformed (non RFC 9000 compliant) INITIAL
    packet. If the packet carries DCID (destination connection ID) which is shorter than 8 bytes, then
    port_bind_channel() jumps to the error path after ossl_quic_lcidm_enrol_odcid() detects that the DCID has
    invalid length. FIPS impact: no The FIPS module is not affected, as the QUIC implementation is outside of
    the OpenSSL FIPS module boundary. (CVE-2026-18798)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/cve-2026-18798");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-18798");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-18798");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"There is no known solution at this time.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"agent", value:"unix");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2026-18798");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"No known exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"false");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vendor_unpatched", value:"true");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2026/08/25");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2026/08/25");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:26.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:14.0");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:edk2");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:edk2-hwe");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:nodejs");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:debian:debian_linux:openssl");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:edk2");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:edk2-aarch64");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:edk2-ovmf");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:edk2-tools");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:edk2-tools-doc");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:openssl");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:openssl-devel");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:openssl-libs");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:openssl-perl");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"generated_plugin", value:"current");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"Misc.");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2026 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");

  script_dependencies("ssh_get_info2.nasl", "set_linux_os_id.nasl");
  script_require_keys("Host/cpu", "Host/local_checks_enabled", "global_settings/vendor_unpatched", "Host/OS/identifier");
  script_require_ports("Host/OS/Debian Linux-14", "Host/OS/Red Hat Enterprise Linux-10", "Host/OS/Red Hat Enterprise Linux-9", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-16.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-18.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-26.04");

  exit(0);
}

if (!get_kb_item("global_settings/vendor_unpatched")) exit(0, "Unpatched Vulnerabilities Detection not active.");
if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
if (empty_or_null(get_one_kb_item("Host/Debian/dpkg-l")) && empty_or_null(get_one_kb_item("Host/RedHat/rpm-list"))) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);

include('linux_unpatched.inc');

var distro_constraints_array = {
  "Debian Linux-14": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "14",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "libcrypto3-udeb"},
          {"reference": "libssl-dev"},
          {"reference": "libssl-doc"},
          {"reference": "libssl3-udeb"},
          {"reference": "libssl3t64"},
          {"reference": "openssl"},
          {"reference": "openssl-provider-fips"},
          {"reference": "openssl-provider-legacy"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-16.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "16.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "nodejs"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-18.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "18.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "nodejs"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-26.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "26.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "efi-shell-aa64"},
          {"reference": "efi-shell-aa64-hwe"},
          {"reference": "efi-shell-loongarch64"},
          {"reference": "efi-shell-loongarch64-hwe"},
          {"reference": "efi-shell-riscv64"},
          {"reference": "efi-shell-riscv64-hwe"},
          {"reference": "efi-shell-x64"},
          {"reference": "efi-shell-x64-hwe"},
          {"reference": "ovmf"},
          {"reference": "ovmf-amdsev"},
          {"reference": "ovmf-amdsev-hwe"},
          {"reference": "ovmf-generic"},
          {"reference": "ovmf-generic-hwe"},
          {"reference": "ovmf-hwe"},
          {"reference": "ovmf-inteltdx"},
          {"reference": "ovmf-inteltdx-hwe"},
          {"reference": "ovmf-legacy"},
          {"reference": "ovmf-legacy-hwe"},
          {"reference": "qemu-efi-aarch64"},
          {"reference": "qemu-efi-aarch64-hwe"},
          {"reference": "qemu-efi-loongarch64"},
          {"reference": "qemu-efi-loongarch64-hwe"},
          {"reference": "qemu-efi-riscv64"},
          {"reference": "qemu-efi-riscv64-hwe"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Red Hat Enterprise Linux-10": {
    "package_manager": "rpm-list",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "10",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "edk2"},
          {"reference": "edk2-aarch64"},
          {"reference": "edk2-ovmf"},
          {"reference": "edk2-tools"},
          {"reference": "edk2-tools-doc"},
          {"reference": "openssl"},
          {"reference": "openssl-devel"},
          {"reference": "openssl-libs"},
          {"reference": "openssl-perl"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Red Hat Enterprise Linux-9": {
    "package_manager": "rpm-list",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "9",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "openssl"},
          {"reference": "openssl-devel"},
          {"reference": "openssl-libs"},
          {"reference": "openssl-perl"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
};

var distro_constraints_values = linux_unpatched::get_distro_constraints(distro_constraints_arr:distro_constraints_array);
if (empty_or_null(distro_constraints_values)) audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');

var third_party_support = get_kb_item('Host/OS/extended-third-party');
if (!empty_or_null(third_party_support)) {
    var third_party_vendors = distro_constraints_values['third_party'];
    if (!empty_or_null(third_party_vendors)) {
        var vendor;
        foreach vendor (third_party_vendors) {
            if (vendor == third_party_support) exit(0, 'A third party management patch is available for this vulnerability from ' + vendor + '.\n');
        }
    }
}

var report = linux_unpatched::check_unpatched_constraints(distro_constraints_values:distro_constraints_values);

if (!empty_or_null(report))
{
  security_report_v4(
      port       : 0,
      severity   : SECURITY_HOLE,
      extra      : report
  );
  exit(0);
}
else
{
  audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
}

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27 Aug 2026 00:00Current
6Medium risk
Vulners AI Score6
CVSS 3.17.5
EPSS0.01481
SSVC
6