High severity · published Jun 22, 2026
CVE-2026-41523
vLLM: Security Check Bypass via assert Statement in Activation Function Loading Allows Arbitrary Code Execution
7.5
CVSS
0.9%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
vLLM is an inference and serving engine for large language models (LLMs). Prior to 0.22.0, an assert-based security check in vLLM's activation function loading allows any unauthenticated attacker to achieve arbitrary code execution on the server by publishing a malicious HuggingFace model, when vLLM runs in Python optimized mode (python -O or PYTHONOPTIMIZE=1). This vulnerability is fixed in 0.22.0.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
High
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.9% · higher than 60% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
VL
vllm · vllm-project
< 0.22.0 · source: vendor, NVD
RH
Red Hat AI Inference Server · Red Hat
All versions, or not specified · source: CISA
RH
Red Hat AI Inference Server 3.2 · Red Hat
All versions, or not specified · source: CISA
RH
Red Hat AI Inference Server 3.3 · Red Hat
All versions, or not specified · source: CISA
RH
Red Hat AI Inference Server 3.4 · Red Hat
All versions, or not specified · source: CISA
RH
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI 3.3 · Red Hat
All versions, or not specified · source: CISA
RH
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI 3.4 · Red Hat
All versions, or not specified · source: CISA
RH
Red Hat OpenShift AI (RHOAI) · Red Hat
All versions, or not specified · source: CISA
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41523
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-41523
Patch
https://github.com/vllm-project/vllm/commit/b3c7ffcab82c2439726f8cb213800f6f38c023d3
Exploit
https://github.com/vllm-project/vllm/security/advisories/GHSA-q8gq-377p-jq3r
Third Party Advisory
https://huntr.com/bounties/dcb05b04-e625-41e7-adbc-bbae0cc2d64c
access.redhat.com
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:36005
access.redhat.com
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:36006
access.redhat.com
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:57380
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