CVE-2026-1484 is a vulnerability identified in the GLib Base64 encoding routine within Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10. The root cause is an integer type misuse during the calculation of buffer lengths when processing very large Base64 input data. Specifically, the integer arithmetic used to determine buffer boundaries can overflow or miscalculate, leading to out-of-bounds memory writes. This memory corruption can cause applications that utilize GLib for Base64 encoding or decoding to crash or behave unpredictably, potentially impacting system stability and application reliability. The vulnerability does not require privileges or authentication but does require user interaction, indicating that an attacker must trick a user into processing crafted Base64 data, possibly via network vectors. The CVSS v3.1 score is 4.2 (medium), reflecting the limited impact on confidentiality and integrity but a notable impact on availability. No known public exploits exist yet, and no patches or mitigations were linked in the provided data, suggesting that organizations should monitor vendor advisories closely. The flaw is particularly relevant for applications handling untrusted or extremely large Base64 encoded data, such as web services, APIs, or data processing tools running on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.

For European organizations, the primary impact is on availability and integrity of applications processing Base64 data using GLib on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10. Systems may experience crashes or unpredictable behavior, potentially leading to denial of service conditions. This can disrupt business-critical services, especially those relying on data encoding/decoding operations or handling large data payloads. While confidentiality is not directly affected, the instability could be exploited to degrade service reliability or cause operational disruptions. Organizations in sectors such as finance, telecommunications, government, and critical infrastructure that deploy Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 extensively may face operational risks. The requirement for user interaction and high attack complexity reduces the likelihood of widespread exploitation but does not eliminate targeted attack risks. The absence of known exploits provides a window for proactive mitigation.

1. Monitor Red Hat security advisories and apply patches promptly once available to address the GLib Base64 encoding vulnerability. 2. Audit applications and services that process Base64 data, especially those accepting large or untrusted inputs, to identify potential exposure. 3. Implement input validation and size limits on Base64 data to prevent processing of excessively large inputs that could trigger the vulnerability. 4. Employ application-layer protections such as sandboxing or process isolation to limit the impact of crashes or memory corruption. 5. Educate users and administrators about the risk of processing untrusted Base64 data and enforce strict data handling policies. 6. Consider deploying runtime memory protection tools (e.g., ASLR, stack canaries) to mitigate exploitation impact. 7. Use network-level controls to limit exposure of vulnerable services to untrusted networks. 8. Conduct vulnerability scanning and penetration testing focused on Base64 processing components to detect potential exploitation attempts.