CVE-2026-85498
LOWDescription
A flaw was found in polkit. When processing input that begins with a null byte, an arithmetic error in the authentication agent helper causes an integer underflow during buffer length calculation, resulting in an out-of-bounds memory read. An attacker capable of supplying crafted input can trigger this flaw, potentially causing an application crash and resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS).
How to fix
TridentStack Control can deploy fixes like this automatically across your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet. See how it works
Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.
CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
Exploit Intelligence
Low risk: more likely to be exploited than 18% of all known CVEs.
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read) vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2014-0160 | High | 7.5 | 100% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2025-5777 | High | 7.5 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | Fix |
| CVE-2021-4034 | High | 7.8 | 95% | KEV + Ransom | Fix |
| CVE-2026-3055 | Critical | 9.8 | 91% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2020-8794 | Critical | 9.8 | 89% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2023-21769 | High | 7.5 | 89% | - | Fix |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2026-85498?
Upgrade policykit-1 on ubuntu 22.04 to 0.105-33ubuntu0.2 or later.
Is CVE-2026-85498 being actively exploited?
Not that we know of. CVE-2026-85498 is not in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Its EPSS score of 0.26% is the estimated probability that it will be exploited in the next 30 days. That is higher than 18% of all scored CVEs.
How severe is CVE-2026-85498?
CVE-2026-85498 has a CVSS v3 base score of 3.5, rated low. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
What does CVE-2026-85498 affect?
Published advisories record a fix for policykit-1 (Ubuntu). Only products with a sourced advisory are listed, so treat this as what we can cite rather than a complete inventory.
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Markdown
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2026-10-30.