CVE-2026-86098: Out-of-bounds Write in ntop nDPI
Description
ntop nDPI versions before 6.0 contain a heap buffer overflow vulnerability in the ndpi_json_string_escape function that writes beyond caller-supplied buffer boundaries. Attackers can trigger the overflow by supplying crafted network packet data including TLS SNI, HTTP headers, or DNS names that reach the vulnerable function, causing heap corruption.
CVSS v4.0
Score 8.3high
Affected software
ntop
nDPI
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AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-86098 is a heap buffer overflow vulnerability in ntop nDPI prior to version 6.0. It arises in the ndpi_json_string_escape function, which improperly handles buffer boundaries when escaping JSON strings derived from network packet data. Attackers can exploit this by sending specially crafted packets containing TLS Server Name Indication (SNI), HTTP headers, or DNS names that trigger the overflow, resulting in heap corruption.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation can cause heap corruption, which may lead to application crashes or potentially enable further exploitation depending on the context. The CVSS score of 8.3 indicates high severity, but there are no known exploits in the wild at this time.
Mitigation Recommendations
A fix is available in ntop nDPI version 6.0 and later. Users should upgrade to version 6.0 or newer to remediate this vulnerability. No additional mitigation guidance is provided in the vendor advisory.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- VulnCheck
- Date Reserved
- 2026-09-04T22:17:37.991Z
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6a9b4bc3acd9273b49619ddb
Added to database: 09/04/2026, 22:52:51 UTC
Last enriched: 09/14/2026, 22:41:08 UTC
Last updated: 10/07/2026, 18:48:24 UTC
Views: 87
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