CVE-2026-123158: in the CISA KEV catalogue
OpenBSD OpenSSH Unexpected Status Code or Return Value Vulnerability. CISA added CVE-2026-123158 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 2026-11-09 with a default due date of 2026-11-12. Known ransomware campaign use: Unknown. Forensic triage flag: Yes.
OpenBSD OpenSSH on Linux contains an unexpected status code or return value vulnerability that could allow for authentication bypass. (CISA description)
- Vendor / product
- OpenBSD OpenSSH
- CWE
- CWE-394
- CISA required action
- Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines.
- EPSS
- 1.0%, percentile 63 (scored 2026-11-09)
EPSS puts about 1.0 in 100 odds (1.0%) on exploitation activity being observed in the next 30 days. Its score is higher than or equal to that of 63% of scored CVEs. This is a model estimate about exploitation anywhere, not about your environment.
Vendor and reference links (from CISA)
- https://www.openssh.org/releasenotes.html
- https://alpinelinux.org/posts/2026-11-05-openssh-password-authentication-bypass/
- https://github.com/openssh/openssh-portable/commit/4353fdc43ef646c43a8dda7025cc1a898caf1482
- https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk
- https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-implementation-guidance-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-123158
Your own deadline under CISA BOD 26-04 depends on exposure, automatability and technical impact: work it out with the BOD 26-04 calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2026-123158 in the CISA KEV catalogue?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2026-123158 (OpenBSD OpenSSH Unexpected Status Code or Return Value Vulnerability) to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 2026-11-09. CISA's default due date for it is 2026-11-12.
Is CVE-2026-123158 used in ransomware attacks?
CISA marks known ransomware campaign use as Unknown for CVE-2026-123158. That means CISA lacks confirmation, not that ransomware groups do not use it.
What should I do about CVE-2026-123158?
CISA's required action: Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines.
Sources
- CISA, Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog (accessed 2026-11-03)
- FIRST, Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) (EPSS by FIRST; scores generated by Empirical Security)
- NVD record for CVE-2026-123158