Glibc: The iconv() function
Affects glibcSource GCVE Database
Public exploit available (Metasploit) · 88% EPSS · CVSS 7.3 High : upgrade to 2.39 as a priority.
Data as of 5 Nov 2026, 09:07 UTC
Thin evidence
One scorer or none| CISA-ADP | CVSS 3.1 | 7.3 |
|---|
- EPSS
- 88.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 99% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 2.39
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 17 Apr 2024
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: evidence found.
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 5 Nov 2026.
What to do
Upgrade glibc to 2.39.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Homebrewglibcpkg:brew/glibcOther 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
Upgrade to GNU C Library version 2.39 or later, where this vulnerability is fixed. Since a patch is available, applying the official fix is the recommended mitigation. No additional vendor advisory indicates alternative mitigations or no-action requirements.
Description
The iconv() function in GNU C Library (glibc) versions older than 2.39 may overflow the output buffer by up to 4 bytes when converting strings to the ISO-2022-CN-EXT character set. This buffer overflow can potentially crash applications or overwrite adjacent memory variables. The vulnerability is identified as CVE-2024-2961 and has a high severity rating. A fix is available in glibc version 2.39.
References
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/04/17/9 (opens in a new tab)
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/04/18/4 (opens in a new tab)
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/04/24/2 (opens in a new tab)
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/05/27/1 (opens in a new tab)
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/05/27/2 (opens in a new tab)
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/05/27/3 (opens in a new tab)
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/05/27/4 (opens in a new tab)
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/05/27/5 (opens in a new tab)
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/05/27/6 (opens in a new tab)
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/07/22/5 (opens in a new tab)
- cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-082556.html (opens in a new tab)
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/05/msg00001.html (opens in a new tab)
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/BTJFBGHDYG5PEIFD5WSSSKSFZ2AZWC5N/ (opens in a new tab)
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/P3I4KYS6EU6S7QZ47WFNTPVAHFIUQNEL/ (opens in a new tab)
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/YAMJQI3Y6BHWV3CUTYBXOZONCUJNOB2Z/ (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2024/2xxx/CVE-2024-2961.json (opens in a new tab)
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-2961 (opens in a new tab)
- security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20240531-0002/ (opens in a new tab)
- sourceware.org/git/?p=glibc.git;a=blob;f=advisories/GLIBC-SA-2024-0004 (opens in a new tab)
- ambionics.io/blog/iconv-cve-2024-2961-p2 (opens in a new tab)