CVE-2026-0799: CWE-129 Improper Validation of Array Index in The Tcpdump Group libpcap
Description
This is the official web site of tcpdump, a powerful command-line packet analyzer; and libpcap, a portable C/C++ library for network traffic capture. Security Fix(es): In BPF instructions that load/store a value from/to a scratch memory register the register index is an unsigned 32-bit integer and must not exceed 15, but libpcap BPF interpreter does not validate the value. In particular uncommon use cases a crafted filter program can cause the interpreter to try reading and writing the OS process memory in the 16GiB starting at the current stack frame on 64-bit architectures and in the entire address space on 32-bit architectures.(CVE-2026-0799) The rpcap client code that processes a RPCAP_MSG_PACKET message received from the server incorrectly validates its headers. A malicious server can send a crafted message and cause the client to treat up to 20 bytes of the client process memory beyond the end of the buffer as if it was a part of the captured packet.(CVE-2026-18238) rpcapd can allocate up to 65536 bytes per each RPCAP_MSG_UPDATEFILTER_REQ or RPCAP_MSG_STARTCAP_REQ message received from the client, but it never frees the memory, so it leaks memory even under normal use. A malicious client can cause the server to leak memory substantially faster.(CVE-2026-18313) libpcap BPF interpreter calls abort() if it encounters a BPF instruction that has an invalid opcode. In particular uncommon use cases a crafted filter program can terminate the OS process.(CVE-2026-31911) libpcap BPF interpreter detects neither reaching the end of the filter program buffer due to lack of a return instruction nor executing a jump instruction with an offset that translates to a pointer outside of the buffer. In particular uncommon use cases a crafted filter program can cause the interpreter to try reading the OS process memory in the 32GiB around the buffer on 64-bit architectures and in the entire address space on 32-bit architectures.(CVE-2026-31912) libpcap BPF interpreter for the 'div #k' and 'mod #k' ALU instructions does not check whether the immediate value is zero. In particular uncommon use cases a crafted filter program can cause a division by zero.(CVE-2026-6244) libpcap BPF interpreter treats the offset in the 'ja L' BPF instruction as a signed integer to implement looping via backward jumps, but it does not limit the number of loop iterations. In particular uncommon use cases a crafted filter program can cause the interpreter to loop infinitely.(CVE-2026-6554)
CVSS v3.1
Score 8.7high
Affected software
The Tcpdump Group
libpcap
Run on your own infrastructure? Check whether these packages are installed with threat-finder — our free open-source scanner.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The vulnerability CVE-2026-0799 in libpcap arises from the BPF interpreter not validating the index of scratch memory registers, which are unsigned 32-bit integers that must not exceed 15. This flaw allows crafted filter programs to access memory beyond intended bounds, including up to 16GiB from the current stack frame on 64-bit systems and the entire address space on 32-bit systems. Additional related vulnerabilities include improper header validation in rpcap client (CVE-2026-18238), memory leaks in rpcapd server (CVE-2026-18313), process abort on invalid BPF opcode (CVE-2026-31911), unchecked buffer boundaries in BPF interpreter (CVE-2026-31912), division by zero in ALU instructions (CVE-2026-6244), and infinite loops due to unbounded backward jumps (CVE-2026-6554). These issues collectively can lead to information disclosure, process crashes, memory leaks, and denial of service.
Potential Impact
Exploitation of these vulnerabilities can lead to partial disclosure of process memory, process termination via abort(), denial of service through infinite loops or memory exhaustion, and memory leaks. The impact includes confidentiality loss, integrity compromise, and availability disruption of the affected system running vulnerable libpcap versions. The vulnerabilities require local or network-level access depending on the component (e.g., crafted filter programs or malicious RPCAP messages).
Mitigation Recommendations
No explicit patch links are provided in the input data. The affected versions are libpcap versions prior to 1.10.7, indicating that upgrading to version 1.10.7 or later is likely the remediation. Users should consult the official Tcpdump Group advisories for the latest patches and updates. Until patched, avoid using untrusted filter programs and restrict access to RPCAP services to trusted clients. Patch status is not yet confirmed in the provided data — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- Tcpdump
- Date Reserved
- 2026-01-08T23:19:31.855Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6a9c688aacd9273b49460eb6
Added to database: 09/05/2026, 19:07:54 UTC
Last enriched: 09/25/2026, 04:45:26 UTC
Last updated: 10/18/2026, 18:48:17 UTC
Views: 108
Community Reviews
0 reviewsCrowdsource mitigation strategies, share intel context, and vote on the most helpful responses. Sign in to add your voice and help keep defenders ahead.
Want to contribute mitigation steps or threat intel context? Sign in or create an account to join the community discussion.
Actions
Updates to AI analysis require Pro Console access. Upgrade inside Console → Billing.
External Links
Need more coverage?
Upgrade to Pro Console for AI refresh and higher limits.
For incident response and remediation, OffSeq services can help resolve threats faster.
Latest Threats
Check if your credentials are on the dark web
Instant breach scanning across billions of leaked records. Free tier available.