CVE-2026-39316: CWE-416: Use After Free in OpenPrinting cups
OpenPrinting CUPS is an open source printing system for Linux and other Unix-like operating systems. In versions 2.4.16 and prior, a use-after-free vulnerability exists in the CUPS scheduler (cupsd) when temporary printers are automatically deleted. cupsdDeleteTemporaryPrinters() in scheduler/printers.c calls cupsdDeletePrinter() without first expiring subscriptions that reference the printer, leaving cupsd_subscription_t.dest as a dangling pointer to freed heap memory. The dangling pointer is subsequently dereferenced at multiple code sites, causing a crash (denial of service) of the cupsd daemon. With heap grooming, this can be leveraged for code execution.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
OpenPrinting CUPS (Common UNIX Printing System) versions up to 2.4.16 contain a use-after-free vulnerability (CWE-416) in the scheduler component. Specifically, the function cupsdDeleteTemporaryPrinters() calls cupsdDeletePrinter() without first expiring subscriptions that reference the printer. This leaves the subscription's destination pointer referencing freed memory, which is subsequently dereferenced in multiple locations, causing a crash of the cupsd daemon. Although the CVSS score is 4.0 (medium severity) and no known exploits are reported, heap grooming techniques could potentially enable code execution.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability can cause the cupsd daemon to crash, resulting in denial of service. There is no direct impact on confidentiality or integrity according to the CVSS vector. However, with sophisticated heap grooming, an attacker with local access might achieve code execution. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed as no official fix or vendor advisory is provided. Users should monitor the OpenPrinting project for updates or patches addressing this issue. Until a fix is available, restricting access to the cupsd service and limiting the creation and deletion of temporary printers may reduce exposure.
CVE-2026-39316: CWE-416: Use After Free in OpenPrinting cups
Description
OpenPrinting CUPS is an open source printing system for Linux and other Unix-like operating systems. In versions 2.4.16 and prior, a use-after-free vulnerability exists in the CUPS scheduler (cupsd) when temporary printers are automatically deleted. cupsdDeleteTemporaryPrinters() in scheduler/printers.c calls cupsdDeletePrinter() without first expiring subscriptions that reference the printer, leaving cupsd_subscription_t.dest as a dangling pointer to freed heap memory. The dangling pointer is subsequently dereferenced at multiple code sites, causing a crash (denial of service) of the cupsd daemon. With heap grooming, this can be leveraged for code execution.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
OpenPrinting CUPS (Common UNIX Printing System) versions up to 2.4.16 contain a use-after-free vulnerability (CWE-416) in the scheduler component. Specifically, the function cupsdDeleteTemporaryPrinters() calls cupsdDeletePrinter() without first expiring subscriptions that reference the printer. This leaves the subscription's destination pointer referencing freed memory, which is subsequently dereferenced in multiple locations, causing a crash of the cupsd daemon. Although the CVSS score is 4.0 (medium severity) and no known exploits are reported, heap grooming techniques could potentially enable code execution.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability can cause the cupsd daemon to crash, resulting in denial of service. There is no direct impact on confidentiality or integrity according to the CVSS vector. However, with sophisticated heap grooming, an attacker with local access might achieve code execution. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed as no official fix or vendor advisory is provided. Users should monitor the OpenPrinting project for updates or patches addressing this issue. Until a fix is available, restricting access to the cupsd service and limiting the creation and deletion of temporary printers may reduce exposure.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- GitHub_M
- Date Reserved
- 2026-04-06T19:31:07.266Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 69d53bddaaed68159a38be0c
Added to database: 4/7/2026, 5:16:13 PM
Last enriched: 4/15/2026, 12:27:21 PM
Last updated: 5/22/2026, 7:48:57 PM
Views: 96
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