iperf3 3.20–3.21 (esnet/iperf) has a pre-auth heap buffer overflow in decrypt_rsa_message(): a 256-byte RSA buffer is
Affects iperf3Source GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 9.2 Critical · fixed in 3.22 : patch iperf3 as a priority.
Data as of 5 Nov 2026, 12:51 UTC
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 3.22
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:NExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 30 Sep 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 5 Nov 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 26.10iperf3pkg:deb/ubuntu/iperf3?arch=source&distro=stonkingOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSiperf3pkg:deb/ubuntu/iperf3?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu Pro 24.04 LTSiperf3pkg:deb/ubuntu/iperf3?arch=source&distro=esm-apps/nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTSiperf3pkg:deb/ubuntu/iperf3?arch=source&distro=esm-apps/focalOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTSiperf3pkg:deb/ubuntu/iperf3?arch=source&distro=esm-apps/bionicOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTSiperf3pkg:deb/ubuntu/iperf3?arch=source&distro=esm-apps/xenialOther 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 iperf3 to version 3.22 or later, where this heap buffer overflow vulnerability is fixed. No other mitigations are indicated or effective given the pre-authentication nature of the flaw.
Description
iperf3 versions 3.20 through 3.21 contain a critical pre-authentication heap buffer overflow vulnerability in the decrypt_rsa_message() function. This occurs because a 256-byte RSA buffer is read using BIO_read with an attacker-controlled ciphertext length, allowing an unauthenticated client to overflow the heap by sending an oversized authtoken. The issue is fixed in version 3.22.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-101283 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-101283 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/esnet/iperf/releases/tag/3.22 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/esnet/iperf/commit/e29f6504dcfac7d2961fed4fd66364115e36fe5a (opens in a new tab)
- newreleases.io/project/github/esnet/iperf/release/3.22 (opens in a new tab)