Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A network attacker can abuse Cockpit’s remote-login interface to run code on a vulnerable server without credentials. Exploitation occurs before authentication, so passwords and normal login controls do not prevent it. Successful compromise could expose data, alter systems, and disrupt services.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation immediately, starting with internet-facing or broadly reachable Cockpit systems. The combination of unauthenticated remote execution, low reported complexity, and complete confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact supports emergency handling. Maintain compensating network restrictions until vendor remediation is verified.
Technical view
Cockpit passes attacker-controlled hostnames and usernames to the SSH client without adequate validation. This CWE-78 command-line argument injection occurs before credential verification and can inject SSH options or shell commands, producing unauthenticated remote code execution. The supplied CVSS v3.1 score is 9.8.
Likely exposure
The bundle identifies Cockpit packages on RHEL 9, 9.6 EUS, 10, and 10.0 EUS as affected; RHEL 7 and 8 are listed unaffected. Exposure requires network reachability to Cockpit’s web service. Other distributions and versions are not established by this bundle.
Exploitation context
No cited source states that active exploitation has occurred, and the bundle marks the CVE as absent from KEV. That does not prove exploitation is absent. The reported low-complexity, single-request, pre-authentication path makes reachable systems especially concerning.
Researcher notes
The supplied evidence supports pre-authentication SSH argument or command injection through remote-login inputs. It does not provide detection signatures, observed exploitation evidence, or confirmed exposure beyond the listed Red Hat products. Testing should remain non-destructive and focus on version mapping, configuration, reachability, logging, and vendor-confirmed remediation.
Mitigation direction
- Consult the applicable Red Hat or Cockpit advisory for current remediation requirements.
- Apply the vendor-prescribed Cockpit security update as an emergency change.
- Until updated, restrict Cockpit web access to trusted management networks using network controls.
- Consider disabling remote-login functionality only when operationally acceptable and supported by vendor guidance.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Cockpit installations, operating-system releases, and installed cockpit package versions.
- Compare results with the affected RHEL products and versions in Red Hat’s CVE and CSAF records.
- Determine whether each Cockpit web service is reachable from untrusted or broadly accessible networks.
- After remediation, confirm the installed package matches the applicable vendor advisory.
- Review Cockpit and host logs for suspicious pre-authentication activity or unexpected process execution.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-78: Command execution behavior lookup
Command injection weaknesses can lead defenders to review execution techniques and command interpreter telemetry. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCredential and access behavior lookup
The CVE wording references authentication or credential exposure, so valid-account and credential-access review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2026-4631 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Critical
- CVSS
- 9.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
2 official scoresWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H3.95.9redhatCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H3.95.9redhat-SADPVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
9.8CriticalVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Base CVSS 3.1 score
9.8CriticalVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- ADP timelineredhat-SADP
Reported to Red Hat.
- Source timelineredhat
Reported to Red Hat.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- ADP timelineredhat-SADP
Made public.
- Source timelineredhat
Made public.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
- 2026-03-23T08:22:37.323Z: Reported to Red Hat.
- 2026-04-07T15:52:00.000Z: Made public.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- RHSA-2026:7381CVE reference, redhat · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- RHSA-2026:7382CVE reference, redhat · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- RHSA-2026:7383CVE reference, redhat · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- RHSA-2026:7384CVE reference, redhat · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-4631CVE reference, redhat · vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT
- RHBZ#2450246CVE reference, redhat · issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT
- https://github.com/cockpit-project/cockpit/security/advisories/GHSA-m4gv-x78h-3427CVE reference, redhat
- https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-4631.jsonCVE reference, redhat-SADP · x_sadp-csaf-vex
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.