{"dataType": "CVE_RECORD", "dataVersion": "5.2", "cveMetadata": {"cveId": "CVE-2026-42792", "assignerOrgId": "6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49db", "state": "PUBLISHED", "assignerShortName": "EEF", "dateReserved": "2026-04-29T18:06:33.251Z", "datePublished": "2026-07-27T14:58:24.426Z", "dateUpdated": "2026-07-27T16:11:33.934Z"}, "containers": {"cna": {"affected": [{"cpes": ["cpe:2.3:a:erlang:erlang\\/otp:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"], "defaultStatus": "unaffected", "modules": ["epmd_srv"], "packageName": "erts", "packageURL": "pkg:otp/erts?repository_url=https:%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Ferlang%2Fotp&vcs_url=git%20https:%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Ferlang%2Fotp.git", "product": "OTP", "programFiles": ["epmd/src/epmd_srv.c"], "programRoutines": [{"name": "do_accept"}], "repo": "https://github.com/erlang/otp", "vendor": "Erlang", "versions": [{"changes": [{"at": "17.0.4", "status": "unaffected"}, {"at": "16.4.0.4", "status": "unaffected"}, {"at": "15.2.7.11", "status": "unaffected"}], "lessThan": "*", "status": "affected", "version": "6.0", "versionType": "otp"}]}, {"collectionURL": "https://github.com", "cpes": ["cpe:2.3:a:erlang:erlang\\/otp:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"], "defaultStatus": "unaffected", "modules": ["epmd_srv"], "packageName": "erlang/otp", "packageURL": "pkg:github/erlang/otp", "product": "OTP", "programFiles": ["erts/epmd/src/epmd_srv.c"], "programRoutines": [{"name": "do_accept"}], "repo": "https://github.com/erlang/otp", "vendor": "Erlang", "versions": [{"changes": [{"at": "29.0.4", "status": "unaffected"}, {"at": "28.5.0.4", "status": "unaffected"}, {"at": "27.3.4.15", "status": "unaffected"}], "lessThan": "*", "status": "affected", "version": "17.0", "versionType": "otp"}, {"lessThan": "865d203e4a6a8f44179eced9e1428f9259e4a3bb", "status": "affected", "version": "07b8f441ca711f9812fad9e9115bab3c3aa92f79", "versionType": "git"}]}], "cpeApplicability": [{"nodes": [{"cpeMatch": [{"criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:erlang:erlang\\/otp:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionEndExcluding": "27.3.4.15", "vulnerable": true}, {"criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:erlang:erlang\\/otp:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionEndExcluding": "28.5.0.4", "versionStartIncluding": "28.0", "vulnerable": true}, {"criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:erlang:erlang\\/otp:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionEndExcluding": "29.0.4", "versionStartIncluding": "29.0", "vulnerable": true}], "negate": false, "operator": "OR"}], "operator": "AND"}], "credits": [{"lang": "en", "type": "finder", "value": "Ryan Moore"}, {"lang": "en", "type": "remediation developer", "value": "John H\u00f6gberg"}], "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "supportingMedia": [{"base64": false, "type": "text/html", "value": "Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions vulnerability in Erlang OTP <tt>erts</tt> (<tt>epmd</tt>) allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to permanently terminate the Erlang Port Mapper Daemon (epmd) via connection slot exhaustion.<p>The <tt>do_accept</tt> function in <tt>erts/epmd/src/epmd_srv.c</tt> calls <tt>epmd_cleanup_exit()</tt> when <tt>accept(2)</tt> returns <tt>EMFILE</tt> (per-process file descriptor limit reached) or <tt>ENFILE</tt> (system-wide file descriptor limit reached), rather than treating these as recoverable conditions. An attacker can exhaust epmd's file descriptor slots by holding many TCP connections open while periodically sending a single byte to reset the idle timeout, then causing <tt>accept(2)</tt> to return <tt>EMFILE</tt>, which kills the daemon. epmd has no per-source-IP connection cap, making the attack feasible from a single source.</p><p>On Debian/Ubuntu default packaging the impact is amplified: the systemd unit inherits a low file descriptor soft limit, and repeated daemon deaths trigger systemd's start-rate-limit, permanently failing both <tt>epmd.service</tt> and <tt>epmd.socket</tt> and requiring manual operator intervention to recover.</p><p>This issue affects OTP from OTP 17.0 before OTP&nbsp;29.0.4, OTP&nbsp;28.5.0.4 and OTP&nbsp;27.3.4.15.</p>"}], "value": "Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions vulnerability in Erlang OTP erts (epmd) allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to permanently terminate the Erlang Port Mapper Daemon (epmd) via connection slot exhaustion.\n\nThe do_accept function in erts/epmd/src/epmd_srv.c calls epmd_cleanup_exit() when accept(2) returns EMFILE (per-process file descriptor limit reached) or ENFILE (system-wide file descriptor limit reached), rather than treating these as recoverable conditions. An attacker can exhaust epmd's file descriptor slots by holding many TCP connections open while periodically sending a single byte to reset the idle timeout, then causing accept(2) to return EMFILE, which kills the daemon. epmd has no per-source-IP connection cap, making the attack feasible from a single source.\n\nOn Debian/Ubuntu default packaging the impact is amplified: the systemd unit inherits a low file descriptor soft limit, and repeated daemon deaths trigger systemd's start-rate-limit, permanently failing both epmd.service and epmd.socket and requiring manual operator intervention to recover.\n\nThis issue affects OTP from OTP 17.0 before OTP\u00a029.0.4, OTP\u00a028.5.0.4 and OTP\u00a027.3.4.15."}], "impacts": [{"capecId": "CAPEC-227", "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "CAPEC-227 Sustained Client Engagement"}]}], "metrics": [{"cvssV4_0": {"attackComplexity": "LOW", "attackRequirements": "PRESENT", "attackVector": "NETWORK", "baseScore": 6.3, "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM", "privilegesRequired": "NONE", "subAvailabilityImpact": "NONE", "subConfidentialityImpact": "NONE", "subIntegrityImpact": "NONE", "userInteraction": "NONE", "vectorString": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N", "version": "4.0", "vulnAvailabilityImpact": "LOW", "vulnConfidentialityImpact": "NONE", "vulnIntegrityImpact": "NONE"}, "format": "CVSS", "scenarios": [{"lang": "en", "value": "GENERAL"}]}], "problemTypes": [{"descriptions": [{"cweId": "CWE-755", "description": "CWE-755 Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions", "lang": "en", "type": "CWE"}, {"cweId": "CWE-770", "description": "CWE-770 Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling", "lang": "en", "type": "CWE"}]}], "providerMetadata": {"orgId": "6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49db", "shortName": "EEF", "dateUpdated": "2026-07-27T16:11:33.934Z"}, "references": [{"tags": ["vendor-advisory", "related"], "url": "https://github.com/erlang/otp/security/advisories/GHSA-h6f3-hx58-xhj6"}, {"tags": ["related"], "url": "https://cna.erlef.org/cves/CVE-2026-42792.html"}, {"tags": ["related"], "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/EEF-CVE-2026-42792"}, {"tags": ["x_version-scheme"], "url": "https://www.erlang.org/doc/system/versions.html#order-of-versions"}, {"tags": ["patch"], "url": "https://github.com/erlang/otp/commit/865d203e4a6a8f44179eced9e1428f9259e4a3bb"}], "source": {"discovery": "EXTERNAL"}, "title": "epmd permanent DoS via EMFILE on accept(2) in erts", "workarounds": [{"lang": "en", "supportingMedia": [{"base64": false, "type": "text/html", "value": "<ul><li>Restrict epmd to loopback only by adding a systemd socket override: set <tt>ListenStream=</tt> (empty, to clear), then <tt>ListenStream=127.0.0.1:4369</tt> and <tt>ListenStream=[::1]:4369</tt> in <tt>/etc/systemd/system/epmd.socket.d/override.conf</tt>.</li><li>On systemd-managed systems, raise the file descriptor limit and configure automatic restart by adding <tt>LimitNOFILE=65536</tt> and <tt>Restart=always</tt> with a suitable <tt>RestartSec</tt> in <tt>/etc/systemd/system/epmd.service.d/override.conf</tt>.</li><li>Restrict network access to TCP port 4369 via firewall rules to trusted hosts only.</li></ul>"}], "value": "* Restrict epmd to loopback only by adding a systemd socket override: set ListenStream= (empty, to clear), then ListenStream=127.0.0.1:4369 and ListenStream=[::1]:4369 in /etc/systemd/system/epmd.socket.d/override.conf.\n* On systemd-managed systems, raise the file descriptor limit and configure automatic restart by adding LimitNOFILE=65536 and Restart=always with a suitable RestartSec in /etc/systemd/system/epmd.service.d/override.conf.\n* Restrict network access to TCP port 4369 via firewall rules to trusted hosts only."}], "x_generator": {"engine": "cvelib 1.8.0"}}}}

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