CVE-2026-41256: jqlang jq · Improper Neutralization of Null Byte or NUL Character
Affects jqlang jqSource CVE Database V5
Mentioned vulnerabilities
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium.
Data as of 29 Oct 2026, 19:04 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 4% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:NExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 11 May 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
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), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 29 Oct 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| jqlangjq | Affected
| Fixed in– |
GitHubjqlang/jqpkg:github/jqlang/jqOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
Users should avoid processing untrusted jq filter files containing embedded NUL bytes until a fix is available.
Description
jq is a command-line JSON processor. In 1.8.1 and earlier, Top-level jq programs loaded from a file with -f are truncated at the first embedded NUL byte on current upstream HEAD. A crafted filter file such as . followed by \x00 and arbitrary suffix compiles and executes as only the prefix before the NUL. This leaves jq with a post-CVE-2026-33948 prefix/full-buffer mismatch on the compilation path even though the JSON parser path has already been fixed.