# CVE-2026-60000: OpenBSD OpenSSH denial of service in GSSAPIAuthentication

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-60000-openbsd-openssh-denial-of-service-in-gssapiauthentication  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-07-08. Updated: 2026-07-08  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-60000 · Severity: low · CVSS 3.7 · Published 2026-07-08

A vulnerability in OpenSSH could allow a remote attacker to cause a denial of service by consuming server resources. This occurs because the system fails to properly limit authentication attempts when a specific login method (GSSAPI) is enabled. An attacker could exploit this to exhaust server memory or processing power, potentially making the remote access service unavailable to legitimate users.

Technologies: [OpenBSD Openssh](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/openssh). Vendors: [OpenBSD](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/openbsd).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-60000 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-60000 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-60000?** Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3.7, published 8 July 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** OpenBSD Openssh before 10.4.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-60000?** A patch was published on 2026-07-06: OpenSSH 10.4 released with a fix. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-60000 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-60000?** Check whether you run OpenBSD Openssh 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

A resource exhaustion vulnerability exists in OpenSSH's sshd daemon prior to version 10.4. The vulnerability is rooted in the mishandling of the 'MaxAuthTries' configuration directive when 'GSSAPIAuthentication' is enabled. Specifically, the server fails to enforce authentication limits for GSSAPI attempts, allowing a remote, unauthenticated attacker to initiate excessive authentication requests. While the 'PerSourcePenalties' feature may provide some mitigation, the flaw can lead to a pre-authentication denial of service by consuming server resources. The issue is resolved in OpenSSH 10.4.

## Affected products

- OpenBSD OpenSSH before 10.4

## Timeline

- 2026-07-06: patched: OpenSSH 10.4 released with a fix.
- 2026-07-08: advisory: NVD published the CVE record.

## References

- [https://marc.info/?l=openssh-unix-dev&m=178333966933090&w=2](https://marc.info/?l=openssh-unix-dev&m=178333966933090&w=2)
- [https://www.openssh.org/releasenotes.html](https://www.openssh.org/releasenotes.html)
- [https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/07/06/5](https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/07/06/5)

## Related threats

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- [In sshd in OpenSSH before 10.5, the restrict keyword (in authorized_keys) was supposed to be applicable to tunnel forwarding but was not.](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-73283-in-sshd-in-openssh-before-10-5-the-restrict-keyword-in-authorized)
- [In ssh in OpenSSH before 10.5, a use-after-free for realloc data can occur if a certain pair of remote-forwarding operations are concurrent.](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-73282-in-ssh-in-openssh-before-10-5-a-use-after-free-for-realloc-data)
- [In ssh-agent in OpenSSH before 10.5, some operations can occur remotely but were intended to occur only locally…](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-73281-in-ssh-agent-in-openssh-before-10-5-some-operations-can-occur)
- [OpenSSH use-after-free in ssh client during key re-exchange](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-60002-openssh-use-after-free-in-ssh-client-during-key-re-exchange)