VulnerabilityPublished 21 Feb 2026Updated 23 Feb 2026

CVE-2026-2869: janet · Out-of-bounds Read

Affects janetSource CVE Database V5

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Public exploit available · CVSS 4.8 Medium.

Data as of 29 Oct 2026, 19:04 UTC

CVSS 4.0 base score

4.8Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 11% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P

Base metrics

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Attack Requirements: None
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Vulnerable system confidentiality: None
Vulnerable system integrity: None
Vulnerable system availability: Low
Subsequent system confidentiality: None
Subsequent system integrity: None
Subsequent system availability: None

Threat metrics

Exploit Maturity: POC

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable system is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or through terminal emulation (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., using social engineering techniques to trick a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: The attacker must take no measurable action to exploit the vulnerability. The attack requires no target-specific circumvention to exploit the vulnerability. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable system.
Attack Requirements: None: The successful attack does not depend on the deployment and execution conditions of the vulnerable system. The attacker can expect to be able to reach the vulnerability and execute the exploit under all or most instances of the vulnerability.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker requires privileges that provide basic capabilities that are typically limited to settings and resources owned by a single low-privileged user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges has the ability to access only non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without interaction from any human user, other than the attacker.
Vulnerable system confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system availability: Low: Performance is reduced or there are interruptions in resource availability. Even if repeated exploitation of the vulnerability is possible, the attacker does not have the ability to completely deny service to legitimate users. The resources in the Vulnerable System are either partially available all of the time, or fully available only some of the time, but overall there is no direct, serious consequence to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the Subsequent System or all confidentiality impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the Subsequent System or all integrity impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Subsequent System or all availability impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Exploit Maturity: POC: Based on threat intelligence sources each of the following must apply: · Proof-of-concept is publicly available · No knowledge of reported attempts to exploit this vulnerability · No knowledge of publicly available solutions used to simplify attempts to exploit the vulnerability

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v4.0 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 21 Feb 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: evidence found.
CVSS exploit maturity: proof of concept public
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), CVSS vector, the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 29 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
janet-langjanet	Affected =1.40.0 =1.40.1	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2026-2869, organizations should upgrade janet-lang janet to version 1.41.0 or later, which contains the official patch fixing the out-of-bounds read issue. In environments where immediate upgrading is not feasible, restrict local access to systems running vulnerable janet versions by enforcing strict access controls and monitoring for suspicious local activity. Employ host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS) to detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. Additionally, conduct code audits and memory safety checks if janet is embedded in custom applications to identify and remediate similar unsafe memory operations. Limit the use of janet-lang to trusted users and sandbox its execution environment where possible to reduce the risk of local exploitation. Regularly review and update software dependencies to minimize exposure to known vulnerabilities.

Description

A vulnerability was identified in janet-lang janet up to 1.40.1. Affected by this vulnerability is the function janetc_varset of the file src/core/specials.c of the component handleattr Handler. The manipulation leads to out-of-bounds read. The attack can only be performed from a local environment. The exploit is publicly available and might be used. Upgrading to version 1.41.0 addresses this issue. The identifier of the patch is 2fabc80151a2b8834ee59cda8a70453f848b40e5. The affected component should be upgraded.

Impact

The out-of-bounds read vulnerability in janet-lang janet can lead to unauthorized disclosure of memory contents, potentially exposing sensitive information such as cryptographic keys, passwords, or other confidential data stored in memory. Although the attack requires local access with limited privileges, it could be leveraged by malicious insiders or attackers who have gained initial foothold on a system to escalate their knowledge of the environment or facilitate further attacks. The vulnerability does not allow direct code execution or privilege escalation but can aid in reconnaissance and exploitation of other vulnerabilities. Systems embedding janet-lang for scripting or automation may be at risk, especially in multi-user or shared environments. The medium severity rating reflects the limited attack vector and moderate impact, but organizations with sensitive data or critical infrastructure using janet should consider this a significant risk. Failure to patch could result in information leakage and increased attack surface for subsequent exploits.

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 1 Mar 2026, 06:13 UTC

Technical details

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