CVE-2026-1145 is a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability identified in the quickjs-ng quickjs JavaScript engine, affecting all versions up to and including 0.11.0. The vulnerability resides in the function js_typed_array_constructor_ta within the quickjs.c source file. This function is responsible for constructing typed arrays, and improper handling of input data leads to a heap overflow condition. The flaw can be exploited remotely without requiring any privileges or authentication, though user interaction is necessary to trigger the vulnerability. The overflow can corrupt memory on the heap, potentially allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code, cause a denial of service, or leak sensitive information. The vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS 4.0 score of 5.3, indicating medium severity, with attack vector network (remote), low complexity, no privileges required, but user interaction needed. The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is low to moderate. A patch identified by commit 53aebe66170d545bb6265906fe4324e4477de8b4 has been released to address this issue. Although no known exploits are currently in the wild, the existence of a public exploit increases the risk of exploitation. Quickjs is often embedded in IoT devices, software applications, and development tools, making this vulnerability relevant to a broad range of systems.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2026-1145 depends on the extent of quickjs usage within their software stacks, particularly in embedded systems, IoT devices, or applications that incorporate the quickjs engine. Successful exploitation could lead to remote code execution, enabling attackers to compromise system confidentiality, integrity, and availability. This could result in data breaches, system downtime, or unauthorized control over critical infrastructure components. Sectors such as manufacturing, telecommunications, and critical infrastructure that rely on embedded JavaScript engines may face increased risk. The medium severity rating suggests that while the vulnerability is serious, it is not trivially exploitable without user interaction, somewhat limiting widespread impact. However, the presence of a public exploit increases the urgency for remediation to prevent targeted attacks. Organizations failing to patch may face regulatory and reputational risks, especially under GDPR and other European cybersecurity regulations.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Immediately identify all systems and applications using quickjs versions up to 0.11.0, including embedded devices and development environments. 2) Apply the official patch (commit 53aebe66170d545bb6265906fe4324e4477de8b4) to update quickjs to a secure version. 3) Where patching is not immediately feasible, employ network-level protections such as strict firewall rules and intrusion detection systems to monitor and block suspicious traffic targeting quickjs services. 4) Implement application-level input validation and sanitization to reduce the risk of malformed input triggering the vulnerability. 5) Conduct security awareness training to minimize risky user interactions that could enable exploitation. 6) Monitor threat intelligence feeds for emerging exploit techniques related to this CVE. 7) For IoT and embedded device manufacturers, integrate secure coding practices and regular vulnerability scanning into the development lifecycle to prevent similar issues. 8) Consider deploying runtime application self-protection (RASP) or sandboxing techniques to contain potential exploitation attempts.