CVE-2026-48829: CWE-476 NULL Pointer Dereference in GNU GNU SASL
In GNU SASL before 2.2.3, DIGEST-MD5 has a NULL pointer dereference affecting both clients and servers, via a known token with no accompanying = character. This occurs in lib/digest-md5/getsubopt.c.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
This vulnerability in GNU SASL prior to version 2.2.3 is a NULL pointer dereference (CWE-476) triggered in the DIGEST-MD5 authentication mechanism. Specifically, when parsing a token that lacks an expected '=' character, the code in lib/digest-md5/getsubopt.c dereferences a NULL pointer, leading to application crashes. Both client and server implementations are affected. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.5, reflecting a network attack vector with low complexity and no privileges or user interaction required, resulting in high impact on availability but no confidentiality or integrity impact.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation causes a denial of service by crashing GNU SASL clients or servers using DIGEST-MD5 authentication. There is no direct impact on confidentiality or integrity. No known exploits are reported in the wild at this time.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Since no official fix or patch link is provided, users should monitor GNU project advisories for updates. Until a patch is available, consider disabling DIGEST-MD5 authentication if feasible to mitigate risk.
CVE-2026-48829: CWE-476 NULL Pointer Dereference in GNU GNU SASL
Description
In GNU SASL before 2.2.3, DIGEST-MD5 has a NULL pointer dereference affecting both clients and servers, via a known token with no accompanying = character. This occurs in lib/digest-md5/getsubopt.c.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.5high
Affected software
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
This vulnerability in GNU SASL prior to version 2.2.3 is a NULL pointer dereference (CWE-476) triggered in the DIGEST-MD5 authentication mechanism. Specifically, when parsing a token that lacks an expected '=' character, the code in lib/digest-md5/getsubopt.c dereferences a NULL pointer, leading to application crashes. Both client and server implementations are affected. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.5, reflecting a network attack vector with low complexity and no privileges or user interaction required, resulting in high impact on availability but no confidentiality or integrity impact.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation causes a denial of service by crashing GNU SASL clients or servers using DIGEST-MD5 authentication. There is no direct impact on confidentiality or integrity. No known exploits are reported in the wild at this time.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Since no official fix or patch link is provided, users should monitor GNU project advisories for updates. Until a patch is available, consider disabling DIGEST-MD5 authentication if feasible to mitigate risk.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- mitre
- Date Reserved
- 2026-05-24T02:22:03.024Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 6a12711c09f6977edbec7b36
Added to database: 05/24/2026, 03:31:40 UTC
Last enriched: 06/08/2026, 20:18:29 UTC
Last updated: 07/31/2026, 19:22:59 UTC
Views: 121
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