CVE-2026-24857
Heap Buffer Overflow in bulk_extractor Unrar Code Enables RCE
Publication date: 2026-01-28
Last updated on: 2026-02-09
Assigner: GitHub, Inc.
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| simsong | bulk_extractor | From 1.4 (inc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-122 | A heap overflow condition is a buffer overflow, where the buffer that can be overwritten is allocated in the heap portion of memory, generally meaning that the buffer was allocated using a routine such as malloc(). |
| CWE-787 | The product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
The vulnerability is a heap-buffer-overflow in the embedded unrar code of bulk_extractor starting from version 1.4. It occurs in the RAR PPM LZ decoding path, where a specially crafted RAR file inside a disk image causes an out-of-bounds write in the function Unpack::CopyString. This leads to a crash under ASAN and likely causes a crash or memory corruption in production builds. There is also potential for this vulnerability to be exploited for remote code execution (RCE).
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability can cause the bulk_extractor tool to crash or experience memory corruption when processing crafted RAR files, potentially leading to denial of service. More seriously, it may allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code remotely (RCE), which could compromise the system running bulk_extractor.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
As of the time of publication, no known patches are available for this vulnerability. Immediate steps include avoiding processing untrusted RAR files with bulk_extractor, especially those embedded in disk images, to prevent triggering the heap-buffer-overflow. Monitoring for crashes or abnormal behavior when using bulk_extractor may help identify exploitation attempts.