CVE-2026-40553: CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow in GNU gawk
Buffer overflow vulnerability has been found in "extension/readdir.c" program file of gawk (ftype() routine). This issue could be used to crash the program and potentially to achieve code execution, although the latter has not been confirmed to be feasible. It affects gawk in versions 5.4.0 and below.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2026-40553 is a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability (CWE-121) found in the ftype() function within the extension/readdir.c source file of GNU gawk. It affects all versions up to and including 5.4.0. The vulnerability can cause a program crash and might be exploitable for code execution, but this has not been confirmed. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates local attack vector with low complexity and no privileges or user interaction required, with limited impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability can cause a denial of service by crashing the gawk program. There is a potential for code execution, but this has not been confirmed. The impact is rated medium based on the CVSS score of 5.1, reflecting limited but non-negligible risk.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. No official fix or patch has been documented at this time. Users should monitor GNU advisories for updates and consider restricting local access to vulnerable versions until a fix is available.
CVE-2026-40553: CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow in GNU gawk
Description
Buffer overflow vulnerability has been found in "extension/readdir.c" program file of gawk (ftype() routine). This issue could be used to crash the program and potentially to achieve code execution, although the latter has not been confirmed to be feasible. It affects gawk in versions 5.4.0 and below.
CVSS v4.0
Score 5.1medium
Affected software
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Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-40553 is a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability (CWE-121) found in the ftype() function within the extension/readdir.c source file of GNU gawk. It affects all versions up to and including 5.4.0. The vulnerability can cause a program crash and might be exploitable for code execution, but this has not been confirmed. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates local attack vector with low complexity and no privileges or user interaction required, with limited impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability can cause a denial of service by crashing the gawk program. There is a potential for code execution, but this has not been confirmed. The impact is rated medium based on the CVSS score of 5.1, reflecting limited but non-negligible risk.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. No official fix or patch has been documented at this time. Users should monitor GNU advisories for updates and consider restricting local access to vulnerable versions until a fix is available.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- CERT-PL
- Date Reserved
- 2026-04-14T09:44:32.553Z
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 6a54e21068715ace4303d480
Added to database: 07/13/2026, 13:03:12 UTC
Last enriched: 07/13/2026, 13:17:38 UTC
Last updated: 07/13/2026, 13:48:27 UTC
Views: 4
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