Red Hat Updates GNU Awk on RHEL 8 for Two Vulnerabilities
Tech GuruQuick Answer
RHSA-2026:73511 supplies gawk 0:4.2.1-5.el8_10 for RHEL 8.10 EUS BaseOS. Red Hat describes CVE-2026-40467 and CVE-2026-40468 as use-after-free and integer-overflow flaws that can disrupt processing. Match the package and repository, update through Red Hat's supported channel, then check dependent scripts with trusted inputs.
Confirm Scope And Apply The Supported Fix
What to do now: Identify systems and scripts using GNU Awk, confirm the package update in Red Hat's erratum for your RHEL branch, and test dependent scripts with known inputs after updating. Preserve the package transaction and recovery record.
Evidence status, 2026-10-02 UTC: Red Hat's CVE record and structured erratum (CSAF) confirm the impact and fixed RPM mapping below. Package rollout and regression tests have not been performed here. Confirm your repository and subscription before deployment.
Scope And Authority
| Product scope | GNU Awk on RHEL 8.10 EUS |
|---|---|
| Advisory | RHSA-2026:73511 |
| CVEs | CVE-2026-40467, CVE-2026-40468 |
| Authoritative release date | 2026-10-02 10:16:46 UTC |
| Authority revision date | CSAF last-updated entry: 2026-10-02 10:16:46 UTC; document generated 17:36:05 UTC. These are source-tracking timestamps, not installation or test dates. |
| Affected versions | RHEL 8.10 EUS BaseOS packages covered by this erratum; compare the installed RPM, including epoch and architecture, with the fixed mapping. Do not transfer this build to another stream. |
| Fixed version | gawk 0:4.2.1-5.el8_10 in RHEL 8.10 EUS BaseOS; the prefix before the colon is the RPM epoch. |
| CVSS base score | 4.0 / 4.4 (official CVSS v3.1) |
| CVSS severity | Medium |
| Exploitation status | This notice has no verified exploitation statement for this erratum. Do not infer either exploitation or its absence from the score. |
What Changed
CVE-2026-40467 concerns use of freed memory in do_getline_redir(), which Red Hat says can cause a crash or denial of service. CVE-2026-40468 concerns integer overflow that can exhaust memory or corrupt internal state. Red Hat cautions against untrusted scripts and inputs. These CVE descriptions establish impact, not the exact RPM fix for a particular RHEL branch.
What To Validate Now
- Inventory. Record the RHEL release, installed gawk package, architecture, enabled Red Hat repositories, and owners of scripts or jobs that use it.
- Establish applicability. Match your RHEL 8.10 EUS BaseOS repository, architecture and installed gawk RPM to this erratum. Do not transfer another RHEL branch's fix or a Hardened Images prerequisite to these packages.
- Remediate. Install the applicable gawk 0:4.2.1-5.el8_10 RPM or its supported superseding update from the matching repository. The checked CSAF does not establish a container-image or live-patch alternative.
- Validate. Record the installed gawk package build and run representative dependent scripts against known, trusted test inputs. Compare output and exit status with expected results; restart or rerun affected workloads where required, check recovery, and record exceptions. These are proposed checks, not performed exploit tests.
Operational Cautions
Confirm subscription access, branch support, and package compatibility before deployment. Preserve prior packages and recovery records. A rollback may restore vulnerable software and is not a security fix. Container deployments need their own verified image and package mapping; no image digest or live-patch procedure is established here. Severity alone does not prove exploitation.
Evidence To Retain
- Asset and owner identifiers, exact product and release, architecture or platform, relevant configuration, and the applicability decision.
- UTC timestamps and vendor advisory revision, change approval, before-and-after versions, and installer or package-manager output.
- Relevant logs, validation results, exceptions, compensating controls, and recovery or rollback decisions.
Related TechGeeks Resources
Authoritative References
Correction policy: If the authority changes affected versions, fixed versions, severity, exploitation information, mitigations, or required action, TechGeeks will update this notice and its verification date.
