CVE-2026-86845 Red Hat CVE debrief

Who should care

Defenders responsible for systems using Fast Datapath for RHEL, OpenShift Container Platform, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux should assess exposure and prioritize verification and remediation efforts.

Why it matters

CVE-2026-86845 is a use-after-free and type confusion vulnerability in DPDK's vhost-crypto session cleanup. Defenders should verify inventory, assess exposure, and prioritize patching or compensating controls for vulnerable systems.

• Verify inventory for affected systems.
• Assess exposure in Fast Datapath for RHEL and OpenShift Container Platform deployments.
• Prioritize patching or applying compensating controls for vulnerable systems.
• Monitor for potential security incidents related to this vulnerability.

Technical summary

The vulnerability is caused by a flaw in DPDK's vhost-crypto session cleanup, which can leave a stale cached session pointer. The data path does not check the session type before attaching it, leading to potential use-after-free or type confusion in the host vhost-crypto backend. This vulnerability can be triggered by a guest, and it has the potential to impact the security of affected systems. Defenders should prioritize verifying the presence of this vulnerability in their inventory, especially for systems using Fast Datapath for RHEL and OpenShift Container Platform.

Defensive priority

Defenders should prioritize verifying the presence of this vulnerability in their inventory, especially for systems using Fast Datapath for RHEL and OpenShift Container Platform.

Recommended defensive actions

• Verify the presence of this vulnerability in your inventory, especially for systems using Fast Datapath for RHEL and OpenShift Container Platform.
• Check for and apply any available patches or updates from the vendor.
• Monitor systems for potential security incidents related to this vulnerability.
• Review compensating controls for exposed systems while remediation is scheduled and verified.
• Check relevant monitoring, detection, and logs for exposed assets that need extra review.
• Track exceptions, retest remediated assets, and close the item only after evidence is documented.
• Confirm whether affected product deployments exist in managed environments and assign an owner for follow-up.

Evidence notes

The CVE record and source item provide details on the vulnerability, but do not specify versions or explicit exploitation. Official sources include the CVE Program and NIST NVD. The vulnerability has been publicly disclosed, but there is no evidence of exploitation. The CVE Program and NIST NVD provide additional information on the vulnerability. Defenders should verify inventory, assess exposure, and prioritize patching or compensating controls for vulnerable systems.

Sources and references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.