FKIE_CVE-2026-42792

Vulnerability from fkie_nvd - Published: 2026-07-27 16:17 - Updated: 2026-07-30 17:01
Severity
6.3 (Medium) - CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Summary
Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions vulnerability in Erlang OTP erts (epmd) allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to permanently terminate the Erlang Port Mapper Daemon (epmd) via connection slot exhaustion. The do_accept function in erts/epmd/src/epmd_srv.c calls epmd_cleanup_exit() when accept(2) returns EMFILE (per-process file descriptor limit reached) or ENFILE (system-wide file descriptor limit reached), rather than treating these as recoverable conditions. An attacker can exhaust epmd's file descriptor slots by holding many TCP connections open while periodically sending a single byte to reset the idle timeout, then causing accept(2) to return EMFILE, which kills the daemon. epmd has no per-source-IP connection cap, making the attack feasible from a single source. On Debian/Ubuntu default packaging the impact is amplified: the systemd unit inherits a low file descriptor soft limit, and repeated daemon deaths trigger systemd's start-rate-limit, permanently failing both epmd.service and epmd.socket and requiring manual operator intervention to recover. This issue affects OTP from OTP 17.0 before OTP 29.0.4, OTP 28.5.0.4 and OTP 27.3.4.15.
References
6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49dbhttps://cna.erlef.org/cves/CVE-2026-42792.html
6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49dbhttps://github.com/erlang/otp/commit/865d203e4a6a8f44179eced9e1428f9259e4a3bb
6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49dbhttps://github.com/erlang/otp/security/advisories/GHSA-h6f3-hx58-xhj6
6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49dbhttps://osv.dev/vulnerability/EEF-CVE-2026-42792
6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49dbhttps://www.erlang.org/doc/system/versions.html#order-of-versions
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version
To clipboard 

{
  "affected": [
    {
      "affectedData": [
        {
          "cpes": [
            "cpe:2.3:a:erlang:erlang\\/otp:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"
          ],
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "modules": [
            "epmd_srv"
          ],
          "packageName": "erts",
          "packageURL": "pkg:otp/erts?repository_url=https:%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Ferlang%2Fotp\u0026vcs_url=git%20https:%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Ferlang%2Fotp.git",
          "product": "OTP",
          "programFiles": [
            "epmd/src/epmd_srv.c"
          ],
          "programRoutines": [
            {
              "name": "do_accept"
            }
          ],
          "repo": "https://github.com/erlang/otp",
          "vendor": "Erlang",
          "versions": [
            {
              "changes": [
                {
                  "at": "17.0.4",
                  "status": "unaffected"
                },
                {
                  "at": "16.4.0.4",
                  "status": "unaffected"
                },
                {
                  "at": "15.2.7.11",
                  "status": "unaffected"
                }
              ],
              "lessThan": "*",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "6.0",
              "versionType": "otp"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "collectionURL": "https://github.com",
          "cpes": [
            "cpe:2.3:a:erlang:erlang\\/otp:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"
          ],
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "modules": [
            "epmd_srv"
          ],
          "packageName": "erlang/otp",
          "packageURL": "pkg:github/erlang/otp",
          "product": "OTP",
          "programFiles": [
            "erts/epmd/src/epmd_srv.c"
          ],
          "programRoutines": [
            {
              "name": "do_accept"
            }
          ],
          "repo": "https://github.com/erlang/otp",
          "vendor": "Erlang",
          "versions": [
            {
              "changes": [
                {
                  "at": "29.0.4",
                  "status": "unaffected"
                },
                {
                  "at": "28.5.0.4",
                  "status": "unaffected"
                },
                {
                  "at": "27.3.4.15",
                  "status": "unaffected"
                }
              ],
              "lessThan": "*",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "17.0",
              "versionType": "otp"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "865d203e4a6a8f44179eced9e1428f9259e4a3bb",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "07b8f441ca711f9812fad9e9115bab3c3aa92f79",
              "versionType": "git"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "source": "6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49db"
    }
  ],
  "cveTags": [],
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions vulnerability in Erlang OTP erts (epmd) allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to permanently terminate the Erlang Port Mapper Daemon (epmd) via connection slot exhaustion.\n\nThe do_accept function in erts/epmd/src/epmd_srv.c calls epmd_cleanup_exit() when accept(2) returns EMFILE (per-process file descriptor limit reached) or ENFILE (system-wide file descriptor limit reached), rather than treating these as recoverable conditions. An attacker can exhaust epmd\u0027s file descriptor slots by holding many TCP connections open while periodically sending a single byte to reset the idle timeout, then causing accept(2) to return EMFILE, which kills the daemon. epmd has no per-source-IP connection cap, making the attack feasible from a single source.\n\nOn Debian/Ubuntu default packaging the impact is amplified: the systemd unit inherits a low file descriptor soft limit, and repeated daemon deaths trigger systemd\u0027s start-rate-limit, permanently failing both epmd.service and epmd.socket and requiring manual operator intervention to recover.\n\nThis issue affects OTP from OTP 17.0 before OTP\u00a029.0.4, OTP\u00a028.5.0.4 and OTP\u00a027.3.4.15."
    }
  ],
  "id": "CVE-2026-42792",
  "lastModified": "2026-07-30T17:01:07.343",
  "metrics": {
    "cvssMetricV40": [
      {
        "cvssData": {
          "Automatable": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "Recovery": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "Safety": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "attackComplexity": "LOW",
          "attackRequirements": "PRESENT",
          "attackVector": "NETWORK",
          "availabilityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "baseScore": 6.3,
          "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
          "confidentialityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "exploitMaturity": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "integrityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedAttackComplexity": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedAttackRequirements": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedAttackVector": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedPrivilegesRequired": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedSubAvailabilityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedSubConfidentialityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedSubIntegrityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedUserInteraction": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedVulnAvailabilityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedVulnConfidentialityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedVulnIntegrityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
          "providerUrgency": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "subAvailabilityImpact": "NONE",
          "subConfidentialityImpact": "NONE",
          "subIntegrityImpact": "NONE",
          "userInteraction": "NONE",
          "valueDensity": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "vectorString": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X",
          "version": "4.0",
          "vulnAvailabilityImpact": "LOW",
          "vulnConfidentialityImpact": "NONE",
          "vulnIntegrityImpact": "NONE",
          "vulnerabilityResponseEffort": "NOT_DEFINED"
        },
        "source": "6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49db",
        "type": "Secondary"
      }
    ],
    "ssvcV203": [
      {
        "source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
        "ssvcData": {
          "id": "CVE-2026-42792",
          "options": [
            {
              "exploitation": "none"
            },
            {
              "automatable": "no"
            },
            {
              "technicalImpact": "partial"
            }
          ],
          "role": "CISA Coordinator",
          "timestamp": "2026-07-27T17:25:58.879765Z",
          "version": "2.0.3"
        }
      }
    ]
  },
  "published": "2026-07-27T16:17:06.257",
  "references": [
    {
      "source": "6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49db",
      "url": "https://cna.erlef.org/cves/CVE-2026-42792.html"
    },
    {
      "source": "6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49db",
      "url": "https://github.com/erlang/otp/commit/865d203e4a6a8f44179eced9e1428f9259e4a3bb"
    },
    {
      "source": "6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49db",
      "url": "https://github.com/erlang/otp/security/advisories/GHSA-h6f3-hx58-xhj6"
    },
    {
      "source": "6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49db",
      "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/EEF-CVE-2026-42792"
    },
    {
      "source": "6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49db",
      "url": "https://www.erlang.org/doc/system/versions.html#order-of-versions"
    }
  ],
  "sourceIdentifier": "6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49db",
  "vulnStatus": "Awaiting Analysis",
  "weaknesses": [
    {
      "description": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "CWE-755"
        },
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "CWE-770"
        }
      ],
      "source": "6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49db",
      "type": "Secondary"
    }
  ]
}



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