CVE-2026-6068
Heap Use-After-Free in NASM Response File Processing Causes Data Corruption
Publication date: 2026-04-10
Last updated on: 2026-04-16
Assigner: CERT/CC
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| nasm | netwide_assembler | 3.02 |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-416 | The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
CVE-2026-6068 is a heap use-after-free vulnerability in NASM that occurs during the processing of response files specified with the -@ command-line option.
The vulnerability arises because a pointer to the response-file buffer is stored in a global variable called depend_file without copying the data. After the response-file buffer is freed, depend_file still points to this freed memory.
Later, when the program dereferences depend_file to compare filenames, it accesses memory that has already been freed, leading to a use-after-free condition. This can cause data corruption or unexpected behavior.
How does this vulnerability affect compliance with common standards and regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA)?:
The provided information does not specify any direct impact of the NASM heap use after free vulnerability (CVE-2026-6068) on compliance with common standards and regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability can lead to data corruption or unexpected behavior in NASM when processing crafted response files.
Because it is a memory safety issue, it could potentially be exploited to cause crashes or to manipulate program execution, depending on the context in which NASM is used.
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
This vulnerability can be detected by running NASM with the response file option (-@) using crafted response files that trigger the heap use-after-free condition.
Using AddressSanitizer (ASan) to run NASM with response files is an effective way to detect the heap-use-after-free error, as ASan will report the memory error with a stack trace.
- Compile NASM with AddressSanitizer enabled.
- Run NASM with a crafted response file using the -@ option, for example: nasm -@ response_file
- Monitor ASan output for heap-use-after-free errors referencing functions like process_respfile() and parse_cmdline().
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
To mitigate this vulnerability immediately, avoid using the response file option (-@) with NASM until a patched version is available.
If you must use response files, ensure they are from trusted sources and avoid any untrusted or crafted input that could exploit the heap use-after-free.
Monitor for updates or patches from the NASM project addressing this issue and apply them as soon as they are released.