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Alpine Linux and OpenSSH patch flaw that’s as bad as it can get

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

  • An ancient bug is affecting Alpine Linux and a few other Linux distros.
  • It’s about as bad as it can get.
  • You must patch ASAP, and then restart the patched software.

The perfect nightmare scenario for a Linux server is when all an attacker needs to do is reach the server’s Secure Shell (SSH) port, waltz right in, and take it over. That’s what happened to Alpine Linux, the popular, lightweight Linux server. Adding insult to injury, this happened only days after Alpine Linux dodged a security hole-sized bullet to its GitLab implementation.

Also: Linux Mint 27 arrives next month, and I like it already: What to expect

How the attack works

As security engineer Gregory Bryant explained in his LinkedIn post:

Most authentication bypasses come from complex logic chains, but yesterday’s Alpine Linux OpenSSH vulnerability (CVE-2026-123158) comes down to a single character:...

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