CVE-2026-16118: Heap-based Buffer Overflow in Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
A flaw was found in xdgmime. A heap-based buffer overflow can be triggered in _xdg_mime_magic_parse_magic_line() in the xdgmimemagic.c file on little-endian systems when an attacker-controlled MIME magic file in a user-writable XDG data location (e.g., in the $XDG_DATA_HOME/mime/magic path) is parsed by an application performing MIME type detection (e.g., via g_content_type_guess()). When performing byte-swap, incorrect pointer arithmetic on the write side causes an out-of-bounds write of 2 bytes, resulting in an application crash or memory corruption.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the _xdg_mime_magic_parse_magic_line() function within the xdgmimemagic.c file of xdgmime on little-endian systems. When an application performing MIME type detection (such as via g_content_type_guess()) parses a malicious MIME magic file located in a user-writable XDG data directory (e.g., $XDG_DATA_HOME/mime/magic), incorrect pointer arithmetic during byte-swapping causes a 2-byte out-of-bounds write. This can result in application crashes or memory corruption, impacting integrity and availability.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability can cause application crashes or memory corruption due to a heap-based buffer overflow triggered by parsing crafted MIME magic files. The CVSS 3.1 score is 7.1 (high), with impact on integrity and availability but no confidentiality impact. Exploitation requires local access with user privileges and user interaction.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the Red Hat advisory at https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-16118 for current remediation guidance. No official fix or workaround is stated in the provided advisory content. Until a patch is available, avoid using untrusted MIME magic files in user-writable XDG data locations and limit user access to such directories where possible.
CVE-2026-16118: Heap-based Buffer Overflow in Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
Description
A flaw was found in xdgmime. A heap-based buffer overflow can be triggered in _xdg_mime_magic_parse_magic_line() in the xdgmimemagic.c file on little-endian systems when an attacker-controlled MIME magic file in a user-writable XDG data location (e.g., in the $XDG_DATA_HOME/mime/magic path) is parsed by an application performing MIME type detection (e.g., via g_content_type_guess()). When performing byte-swap, incorrect pointer arithmetic on the write side causes an out-of-bounds write of 2 bytes, resulting in an application crash or memory corruption.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.1high
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the _xdg_mime_magic_parse_magic_line() function within the xdgmimemagic.c file of xdgmime on little-endian systems. When an application performing MIME type detection (such as via g_content_type_guess()) parses a malicious MIME magic file located in a user-writable XDG data directory (e.g., $XDG_DATA_HOME/mime/magic), incorrect pointer arithmetic during byte-swapping causes a 2-byte out-of-bounds write. This can result in application crashes or memory corruption, impacting integrity and availability.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability can cause application crashes or memory corruption due to a heap-based buffer overflow triggered by parsing crafted MIME magic files. The CVSS 3.1 score is 7.1 (high), with impact on integrity and availability but no confidentiality impact. Exploitation requires local access with user privileges and user interaction.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the Red Hat advisory at https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-16118 for current remediation guidance. No official fix or workaround is stated in the provided advisory content. Until a patch is available, avoid using untrusted MIME magic files in user-writable XDG data locations and limit user access to such directories where possible.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- redhat
- Date Reserved
- 2026-07-17T15:50:21.345Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
- Vendor Advisory Urls
- [{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-16118","vendor":"Red Hat"}]
Threat ID: 6a5b5eae2d1edb114c7fb30d
Added to database: 07/18/2026, 11:08:30 UTC
Last enriched: 07/18/2026, 11:52:32 UTC
Last updated: 07/18/2026, 13:13:07 UTC
Views: 2
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