# CVE-2026-90462: SSSD fail-open in LDAP ppolicy access check

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-90462-a-flaw-was-found-in-sssd-when-configured-with-the-ldap-access  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-09-22. Updated: 2026-09-26  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-90462 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5.4 · Published 2026-09-22

SSSD is a system service that authenticates users and manages access control for enterprise Linux systems. When misconfigured with specific LDAP access controls, it can incorrectly grant access to users that have been deleted or deprovisioned from the directory, allowing a former employee or contractor to maintain unauthorized access to systems and data. An attacker with a previously valid account can exploit this to access information and modify resources they should no longer have permissions for.

Technologies: [Red Hat SSSD](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/red-hat-sssd). Vendors: [Red Hat](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/red-hat).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-90462 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-90462 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-90462?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 5.4, published 22 September 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Red Hat SSSD.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-90462?** 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-2026-90462 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a hosted service.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-90462?** Check whether you run Red Hat SSSD. 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 fail-open condition in SSSD's LDAP ppolicy access provider occurs when a user lookup returns zero results, causing the access check to incorrectly return success and cache an allow decision. This affects SSSD configured with access_provider = ldap and ldap_access_order including ppolicy or lockout, requiring pre-existing local SSSD user state. An authenticated remote attacker can maintain access for deleted or deprovisioned accounts.

## Affected products

- Red Hat SSSD

## Timeline

- 2026-09-22: disclosed
- other: Requires specific non-default LDAP access control configuration (access_provider=ldap with ldap_access_order including ppolicy or lockout)

## References

- [https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/](https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/)
- [https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-90462](https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-90462)

## Related threats

- [SSSD PAM responder NULL pointer dereference in JSON extension](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-127100-a-flaw-was-found-in-sssd-s-pam-responder-on-builds-with-the-json)
- [SSSD stack buffer overflow in X.509 RSA certificate conversion](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-127099-a-flaw-was-found-in-sssd-s-conversion-of-x-509-certificate-rsa)
- [SSSD race condition denial of service in autofs responder](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-104045-a-flaw-was-found-in-sssd-a-local-user-can-trigger-a-denial-of)
- [SSSD authorization bypass via username collision in HBAC](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-104048-a-flaw-was-found-in-sssd-in-trust-enabled-identity-management)
- [SSSD query injection in Microsoft Entra ID lookups](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-104047-a-flaw-was-found-in-sssd-when-configured-to-use-microsoft-entra)