Libssh: memory exhaustion via repeated key exchange in libssh
A flaw was found in libssh's handling of key exchange (KEX) processes when a client repeatedly sends incorrect KEX guesses. The library fails to free memory during these rekey operations, which can gradually exhaust system memory. This issue can lead to crashes on the client side, particularly when using libgcrypt, which impacts application stability and availability.
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options don't meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base, or stability. It is strongly advised to apply updated libssh packages once available to prevent memory exhaustion risks on client systems.
Exploits
Credits
Red Hat would like to thank Francesco Rollo for reporting this issue.