5.3
MEDIUM CVSS 3.1
CVE-2026-14940
389-ds-base: 389-ds-base: heap-buffer-overflow in dn normalization via quoted multivalued rdn
Description

A heap-buffer-overflow flaw was found in 389 Directory Server (389-ds-base). When normalizing a Distinguished Name (DN) that contains a legacy-quoted value encoding a multivalued nested Relative Distinguished Name (RDN), the server can write past the end of a heap allocation while sorting RDN attribute-value pairs. An unauthenticated remote attacker can trigger this condition by sending an LDAP operation whose DN reaches the DN normalization routine, such as a search with a crafted base DN. This can corrupt heap memory and may cause denial of service.

INFO

Published Date :

July 7, 2026, 3:16 p.m.

Last Modified :

July 7, 2026, 3:16 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

Yes !
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-14940 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 Redhat enterprise_linux
2 Redhat directory_server
3 Redhat enterprise_linux
4 Redhat directory_server
CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 3.1 MEDIUM 53f830b8-0a3f-465b-8143-3b8a9948e749
CVSS 3.1 MEDIUM [email protected]
Solution
Update 389 Directory Server to fix a heap buffer overflow vulnerability.
  • Update 389 Directory Server to the latest version.
  • Apply vendor-provided patches for 389-ds-base.
  • Validate secure handling of DN normalization.
  • Monitor system for unusual activity.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools

Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to CVE-2026-14940.

URL Resource
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-14940
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2497697
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-14940 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-14940 weaknesses.

We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2026-14940 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2026-14940 vulnerability over time.

Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.

  • New CVE Received by [email protected]

    Jul. 07, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Affected [{'cpes': ['cpe:/a:redhat:directory_server:11'], 'vendor': 'Red Hat', 'product': 'Red Hat Directory Server 11', 'packageName': 'redhat-ds:11/389-ds-base', 'collectionURL': 'https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/', 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}, {'cpes': ['cpe:/a:redhat:directory_server:12'], 'vendor': 'Red Hat', 'product': 'Red Hat Directory Server 12', 'packageName': 'redhat-ds:12/389-ds-base', 'collectionURL': 'https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/', 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}, {'cpes': ['cpe:/a:redhat:directory_server:13'], 'vendor': 'Red Hat', 'product': 'Red Hat Directory Server 13', 'packageName': '389-ds-base', 'collectionURL': 'https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/', 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}, {'cpes': ['cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10'], 'vendor': 'Red Hat', 'product': 'Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10', 'packageName': '389-ds-base', 'collectionURL': 'https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/', 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}, {'cpes': ['cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:6'], 'vendor': 'Red Hat', 'product': 'Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6', 'packageName': '389-ds-base', 'collectionURL': 'https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/', 'defaultStatus': 'unknown'}, {'cpes': ['cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7'], 'vendor': 'Red Hat', 'product': 'Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7', 'packageName': '389-ds-base', 'collectionURL': 'https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/', 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}, {'cpes': ['cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8'], 'vendor': 'Red Hat', 'product': 'Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8', 'packageName': '389-ds:1.4/389-ds-base', 'collectionURL': 'https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/', 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}, {'cpes': ['cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9'], 'vendor': 'Red Hat', 'product': 'Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9', 'packageName': '389-ds-base', 'collectionURL': 'https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/', 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}]
    Added Description A heap-buffer-overflow flaw was found in 389 Directory Server (389-ds-base). When normalizing a Distinguished Name (DN) that contains a legacy-quoted value encoding a multivalued nested Relative Distinguished Name (RDN), the server can write past the end of a heap allocation while sorting RDN attribute-value pairs. An unauthenticated remote attacker can trigger this condition by sending an LDAP operation whose DN reaches the DN normalization routine, such as a search with a crafted base DN. This can corrupt heap memory and may cause denial of service.
    Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
    Added CWE CWE-122
    Added Reference https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-14940
    Added Reference https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2497697
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.