netrek-client-cow through 3.3.3 contains a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in handleSMessage() in short.c
Source GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.1 High.
Data as of 4 Nov 2026, 22:52 UTC
Thin evidence
One scorer or none| CNA (VulnCheck) | CVSS 4.0 | 7.1 |
|---|---|---|
| CNA (VulnCheck) | CVSS 3.1 | 6.5 |
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:NExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 4 Nov 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 4 Nov 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| quozlnetrek-client-cow | Affected
| Fixed in– |
GitHubquozl/netrek-client-cowpkg:github/quozl/netrek-client-cowOther 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 connecting to untrusted Netrek servers or networks where man-in-the-middle attacks are possible. Monitoring for updates from the vendor or project is recommended to obtain any future patches. Until then, minimizing exposure to untrusted servers is the primary mitigation.
Description
netrek-client-cow versions through 3.3.3 have a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the handleSMessage() function within short.c. This flaw allows malicious Netrek servers or man-in-the-middle attackers on the plaintext TCP connection to send oversized SP_S_MESSAGE packets that overflow a 100-byte stack buffer, potentially crashing the client application.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-121969 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/quozl/netrek-client-cow/issues/11 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/quozl/netrek-client-cow/commit/fb322e74abee3b0b76a9c5a31df6aab5585d3127 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/quozl/netrek-client-cow (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/quozl/netrek-client-cow/blob/3.3.3/short.c (opens in a new tab)
- vulncheck.com/advisories/netrek-client-cow-through-3.3.3-stack-buffer-overflow-via-handlesmessage (opens in a new tab)