Alpine Linux
Meet *sshole, the vulnerability that lets hackers SSH into Linux devices
At a glance
Low rather than Medium: UK relevance is 40 of 100, little UK-specific signal so far.
Briefing
- Organisations using Alpine Linux should assess whether their systems are affected by this vulnerability that could allow unauthenticated access to devices.
Questions to ask IT
- Do we run Alpine Linux, and which versions?
- If it is not yet patched, what mitigation is in place, and will the fix be done by 6 Dec?
Next steps
- Confirm whether this affects systems or suppliers in your estate
- The vulnerability affects devices running specific configurations of Alpine Linux and potentially other distributions through interactions between OpenSSH and musl, a lightweight libc alternative used in Alpine.
Next steps
- Review the advisory against your asset inventory and patch cadence
Summary
- A decade-old vulnerability in Alpine Linux and possibly other distributions allows attackers to log into devices without a password due to interactions between OpenSSH and musl.
Read the original reportArs Technica Security(opens in a new tab)
Products and services involved
- Alpine Linux98% match confidence
Part of Samsung and Alpine Linux vulnerabilities
Pulse
Last change 3d ago · Recheck overdue since 7 Nov 2026, 01:05 UK time
- Story6 Nov 2026, 01:05 UK time · 3d ago
Linked reporting from Ars Technica Security (independent original reporting).
Read source (Ars Technica Security)
1 entry so far. The timeline chart appears once this story has more history.
Sources
- Ars Technica SecurityNews
Meet *sshole, the vulnerability that lets hackers SSH into Linux devices
How we know
Statements extracted from sources. Higher confidence means stronger corroboration.
- ClaimedHeadline60% confidence
Meet *sshole, the vulnerability that lets hackers SSH into Linux devices
- ProbableSummary fact75% confidence
Devices running some configurations of Alpine Linux, and possibly other distributions, are affected by a decade-old vulnerability that allows attackers to log into devices with no password. The vulnerability exists in the interaction between OpenSSH, the code library implementing SSH connections, and musl, a lightweight alternative to the libc library that, unlike most other Linux distributions, is used in Alpine.