VulnerabilityPublished 1 Jan 2026Updated 5 Jan 2026

CVE-2025-48769: Apache NuttX RTOS · Use After Free

Affects Apache NuttX RTOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.3 Medium · fixed in 12.11.0 : update Apache NuttX RTOS when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 15:59 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.3Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 1.5% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 75% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 12.11.0

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 1 Jan 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
GitHubapache/nuttx`pkg:github/apache/nuttx`Other threats	Affected =7.20	Fixed in–

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

European organizations should immediately identify all devices and systems running Apache NuttX RTOS versions from 7.20 up to before 12.11.0, focusing on those exposing virtual filesystem services with write access over the network. The primary mitigation is to upgrade affected systems to Apache NuttX RTOS version 12.11.0 or later, where the vulnerability is resolved. For devices that cannot be immediately patched, network-level mitigations should be applied, including restricting access to vulnerable services via firewalls, VPNs, or network segmentation to limit exposure. Disabling unnecessary virtual filesystem services or write access over the network can reduce attack surface. Monitoring device logs and network traffic for anomalous rename or filesystem operations may help detect exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing strict access controls and authentication for network-exposed services will mitigate unauthorized exploitation. Vendors and integrators should review their embedded device firmware and update release processes to incorporate this patch promptly.

Description

Use After Free vulnerability was discovered in fs/vfs/fs_rename code of the Apache NuttX RTOS, that due recursive implementation and single buffer use by two different pointer variables allowed arbitrary user provided size buffer reallocation and write to the previously freed heap chunk, that in specific cases could cause unintended virtual filesystem rename/move operation results. This issue affects Apache NuttX RTOS: from 7.20 before 12.11.0. Users of virtual filesystem based services with write access especially when exposed over the network (i.e. FTP) are affected and recommended to upgrade to version 12.11.0 that fixes the issue.

Impact

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-48769 lies in embedded and IoT devices running Apache NuttX RTOS that expose virtual filesystem services with write capabilities over networks. Potential unintended rename or move operations could disrupt device file management, leading to data inconsistency or leakage of sensitive information. While the vulnerability does not directly compromise system integrity or availability, it could be leveraged as a foothold for further attacks or cause operational anomalies in critical infrastructure devices. Sectors such as manufacturing, energy, transportation, and healthcare that deploy NuttX-based embedded systems are at risk, especially if devices are accessible remotely without adequate network segmentation or access controls. The moderate CVSS score reflects the limited but non-negligible risk, emphasizing the need for timely patching to prevent exploitation. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate threat but does not eliminate future risk, particularly as attackers often target embedded RTOS vulnerabilities.

CWE-416Use After Free (opens in a new tab)
Variant weaknessLikelihood of exploit: HighCWE Top 25 (2025): #7
The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.
Architecture and Design · Language Selection
Choose a language that provides automatic memory management.
Implementation · Attack Surface Reduction
When freeing pointers, be sure to set them to NULL once they are freed. However, the utilization of multiple or complex data structures may lower the usefulness of this strategy.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
XML Security (opens in a new tab)
Mass Assignment (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V13.3.1 (opens in a new tab)
V5.1.4 (opens in a new tab)
V5.1.3 (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 8 Jan 2026, 18:58 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-416

Technical details

References

Community reviews

Related threats