CVE-2026-22780 is a heap overflow vulnerability identified in the rizin reverse engineering framework, specifically in versions prior to 0.8.2. Rizin is a UNIX-like toolset used for reverse engineering and binary analysis. The vulnerability arises when rizin parses Mach-O files—executable file format used primarily on macOS—that contain malformed or bogus entries within the dyld chained segments. These segments are part of the dynamic linker data structures used to manage dependencies and symbol bindings. The malformed entries cause rizin to allocate resources without proper limits or throttling, leading to a heap overflow condition classified under CWE-770 (Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling). This can result in memory corruption, potentially allowing an attacker to disrupt the program’s control flow or cause a denial of service by crashing the application. Exploitation requires the victim to open or analyze a crafted Mach-O file, thus requiring user interaction but no elevated privileges. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.4 (medium), reflecting local attack vector, low complexity, no privileges required, but user interaction needed, and impacts limited to integrity and availability without confidentiality loss. The vulnerability was fixed in rizin version 0.8.2, and users are advised to upgrade to this or later versions. No public exploits or active exploitation have been reported to date.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2026-22780 lies in the potential compromise of integrity and availability of systems running vulnerable versions of rizin. Organizations involved in software security research, malware analysis, or reverse engineering—such as cybersecurity firms, academic institutions, and defense contractors—are the most likely users of rizin and thus at risk. Exploitation could lead to application crashes or potentially arbitrary code execution within the context of the user running rizin, which may disrupt analysis workflows or lead to further compromise if chained with other vulnerabilities. While the vulnerability does not directly expose confidentiality, disruption of critical reverse engineering tasks could delay incident response or malware investigations. Since exploitation requires user interaction and local access, the threat is somewhat limited to targeted attacks or insider threats. Nonetheless, the presence of this vulnerability in critical analysis tools could be leveraged by advanced persistent threat actors aiming to hinder forensic or research activities.

To mitigate CVE-2026-22780, European organizations should immediately upgrade all rizin installations to version 0.8.2 or later, where the vulnerability is patched. Additionally, organizations should implement strict file validation and sandboxing when handling untrusted Mach-O files to limit the impact of any malformed inputs. Employing endpoint protection solutions that monitor for abnormal application behavior during reverse engineering tasks can help detect exploitation attempts. Limiting rizin usage to trusted personnel and enforcing least privilege principles reduces exposure. Regularly auditing and updating reverse engineering tools as part of software supply chain security practices will prevent similar vulnerabilities from persisting. Finally, educating users about the risks of opening untrusted binaries and enforcing secure operational procedures for malware analysis workflows will further reduce exploitation likelihood.