Authentication bypass via Rowhammer bit flip
Published Dec 24, 2023 · Updated Jun 2, 2026
Rowhammer fault injection in OpenSSH through 10.0 allows local users to bypass SSH password authentication on systems with susceptible DRAM. The attack flips one bit in the authenticated integer used by mm_answer_authpassword after a register value is spilled to DRAM. The published threat model requires co-location and local privileges, while OpenSSH says the demonstration used modified software or root access and disputes the CVE.
Summary
What happened
Rowhammer fault injection in OpenSSH through 10.0 allows local users to bypass SSH password authentication on systems with susceptible DRAM. The attack flips one bit in the authenticated integer used by mm_answer_authpassword after a register value is spilled to DRAM. The published threat model requires co-location and local privileges, while OpenSSH says the demonstration used modified software or root access and disputes the CVE.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-51767
- Published
- Dec 24, 2023
- Updated
- Jun 2, 2026
- Vendor
- Unknown vendor
- Product
- Unknown product
- Classifications
- T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 24, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jun 2, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
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What is affected?
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Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
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