---
title: "CVE-2026-123158: OpenBSD OpenSSH vulnerability"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-123158/
description: "CVE-2026-123158 (OpenBSD OpenSSH): sshd in OpenSSH before 10.6p2 on Linux, when musl libc is used without PAM, lacks a workaround for a password…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2026-11-05
date_modified: 2026-11-06
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2026-123158"
kev: false
cvss: 8.1
epss: null
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2026-123158: OpenBSD OpenSSH vulnerability

**Signal:** Normal patch cycle. No exploitation signal; fix it in your next routine update if you are affected. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- Not in CISA KEV , but CISA’s SSVC assessment records a public proof-of-concept, so attack code exists.
- Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
- Editorial verdict: Check exposure. SSHole: OpenSSH Password Bypass on Alpine and musl Linux — Most SSH servers run glibc and are not affected, but if you run OpenSSH on Alpine or another musl system with password logins enabled, this is a one-connection login with public details, so patch or turn off password authentication today.

## What it is

sshd in OpenSSH before 10.6p2 on Linux, when musl libc is used without PAM, lacks a workaround for a password authentication bypass (related to misinterpretation of whether a string is intended to be a password hash). For some configurations of accounts, any password between 256 and 1024 characters succeeds. An example of a platform using musl libc without PAM is Alpine Linux.

## Affected products (CVE record)

- OpenBSD OpenSSH: < 10.6p2

## Severity

- mitre CVSS 3.1: 8.1 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation poc , automatable no , technical impact total .

## Sources

- [CVE.org record CVE-2026-123158](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-123158)
- [NVD entry CVE-2026-123158](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-123158)
- [openssh.org](https://www.openssh.org/releasenotes.html#10.6p2)
- [github.com](https://github.com/openssh/openssh-portable/commit/4353fdc43ef646c43a8dda7025cc1a898caf1482)
- [news.ycombinator.com](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50377976)
- [news.ycombinator.com](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50378228)
- [marc.info](https://marc.info/?l=openssh-unix-dev&m=179388064263131&w=2)
- [hachyderm.io](https://hachyderm.io/@damienmiller/117563026759098135)
- [github.com](https://github.com/predkambrij/sshhole-repro)
- [github.com](https://github.com/leonjza/sshhole-lab)
- [alpinelinux.org](https://alpinelinux.org/posts/2026-11-05-openssh-password-authentication-bypass/)
- [news.ycombinator.com](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50379704)
- [github.com](https://github.com/google/goonami-scanner/pull/277)
- [sshhole.com](https://sshhole.com)

---
Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-123158/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt