Root command execution via inherited pmdaroot descriptor
Published Jul 30, 2026 · Updated Jul 30, 2026
Privilege escalation in Red Hat Performance Co-Pilot allows attackers with existing pcp code execution to run arbitrary commands as root. The pmdarootfd Unix-socket descriptor lacks O_CLOEXEC, so popen() children inherit it and send unauthenticated PDUROOT_STARTPMDA_REQ messages whose arguments pmdaroot passes to execvp() as root. Exploitation requires prior linux_sockets command injection and non-default DSO loading; exposure is local or remote according to pmcd or pmproxy configuration.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in Red Hat Performance Co-Pilot allows attackers with existing pcp code execution to run arbitrary commands as root. The pmdarootfd Unix-socket descriptor lacks O_CLOEXEC, so popen() children inherit it and send unauthenticated PDUROOT_STARTPMDA_REQ messages whose arguments pmdaroot passes to execvp() as root. Exploitation requires prior linux_sockets command injection and non-default DSO loading; exposure is local or remote according to pmcd or pmproxy configuration.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-16526
- Published
- Jul 30, 2026
- Updated
- Jul 30, 2026
- Vendor
- 389 Directory Server
- Product
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Classifications
- CWE-403, T1068
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 30, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jul 30, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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