Skip to content
major vulnerability· requires attention

Affects widely used identity infrastructure (389 Directory Server / FreeIPA / Red Hat IdM) and allows admin takeover of directory services; org-wide impact and high-risk.

Applications

CVE-2026-18922

9.8
Critical
EPSS 0.56%Patch availableSep 8, 2026

SASL bind flaw allows escalation to Directory Manager privileges on 389 Directory Server

common questions

Is CVE-2026-18922 being exploited?

Not confirmed. CVE-2026-18922 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 0.56% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How severe is CVE-2026-18922?

CVE-2026-18922 is rated Critical with a CVSS score of 9.8. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.

Is there a patch for CVE-2026-18922?

Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-18922. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.

What does CVE-2026-18922 affect?

CVE-2026-18922 affects 389 Directory Server, Red Hat Directory Server, FreeIPA, Red Hat Identity Management (IdM). Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.

What should I do about CVE-2026-18922?

Apply vendor patches immediately; disable/restrict SASL PLAIN until patched.

Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.

executive summary
technical analysis
affected
389 Directory ServerRed Hat Directory ServerFreeIPARed Hat Identity Management (IdM)
impact

Privilege escalation: attacker can gain Directory Manager (admin) privileges by combining a failed SASL PLAIN bind with a subsequent successful bind on the same connection.

action required

Immediate action required

how to fix
Remediation steps are tailored for users whose stack is affected. Add this technology to your stack to see the fix checklist.
references
get alerted

Track only the vulnerabilities that affect your infrastructure.

start for free