# CVE-2026-112317: MIT Kerberos 5 memory leak in krb5_ktkdb_get_entry()

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-112317-krb5-ktkdb-get-entry-in-lib-kdb-keytab-c-in-mit-kerberos-5-aka  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-11-09. Updated: 2026-11-09  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-112317 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5.3 · Published 2026-11-09

MIT Kerberos 5 is a network authentication system used by organizations to manage user credentials and secure access to network resources. A memory leak in the key decryption function allows unauthenticated remote attackers to send specially crafted requests that repeatedly cause decryption failures, exhausting server memory and rendering KDC (Key Distribution Center) or kadmind services unavailable. This is a denial-of-service vulnerability that can disrupt authentication services enterprise-wide.

Technologies: [Mit Kerberos 5](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/kerberos-5). Vendors: [Mit](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/mit).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-112317 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-112317 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-112317?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 5.3, published 9 November 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Mit Kerberos 5 1.2.8 and later.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-112317?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-112317 attacked?** It is attacked over the network.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-112317?** Check whether you run Mit Kerberos 5 at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

The krb5_ktkdb_get_entry() function in lib/kdb/keytab.c fails to free decrypted key material when post-decryption validation fails, resulting in a resource leak. An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this over the network by sending requests that repeatedly trigger key decryption failures, gradually depleting KDC or kadmind process memory until denial of service occurs.

## Affected products

- MIT Kerberos 5 1.2.8 and later

## Timeline

- 2026-11-09: disclosed

## References

- [https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/](https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/)
- [https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-112317](https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-112317)

## Related threats

- [MIT Kerberos 5 denial of service in ASN.1 SEQUENCE OF decoding](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-119079-decode-sequence-of-in-lib-krb5-asn-1-asn1-encode-c-in-mit)
- [MIT Kerberos 5 kadmind memory exhaustion in AUTH_GSSAPI](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-112323-the-auth-gssapi-handler-in-lib-rpc-svc-auth-gssapi-c-in-mit)
- [MIT Kerberos 5 denial of service in kadmind AUTH_GSSAPI cleanup](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-112322-clean-client-in-lib-rpc-svc-auth-gssapi-c-in-mit-kerberos-5-aka)
- [MIT Kerberos memory exhaustion in AUTH_GSSAPI handler](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-112321-the-auth-gssapi-handler-in-lib-rpc-svc-auth-gssapi-c-in-mit)
- [MIT Kerberos 5 memory exhaustion via GSS-RPC authentication context leak](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-112320-the-gss-rpc-transport-layer-in-mit-kerberos-5-aka-krb5-1-4-and)