CVE-2026-7270
Kernel Buffer Overflow in FreeBSD Leads to Privilege Escalation
Publication date: 2026-04-30
Last updated on: 2026-05-01
Assigner: FreeBSD
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| freebsd | freebsd | 15.0 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 15.0 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 13.5 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 13.5 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 13.5 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 13.5 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 13.5 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 13.5 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 13.5 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 13.5 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 13.5 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 13.5 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 14.3 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 14.3 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 14.3 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 14.3 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 14.3 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 14.3 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 14.3 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 14.3 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 14.3 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 15.0 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 14.4 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 15.0 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 14.3 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 14.4 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 15.0 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 13.5 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 13.5 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 13.5 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 13.5 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 14.3 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 14.3 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 14.4 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 14.4 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 15.0 |
| freebsd | freebsd | 15.0 |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-783 | The product uses an expression in which operator precedence causes incorrect logic to be used. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
CVE-2026-7270 is a vulnerability in the FreeBSD kernel caused by an operator precedence bug. This bug leads to a buffer overflow that allows attacker-controlled data to overwrite adjacent argument buffers used by the execve() system call.
Because of this flaw, an unprivileged user can exploit the vulnerability to manipulate the kernel's behavior during process execution.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability can be exploited by an unprivileged user to gain superuser (root) privileges on a FreeBSD system.
Such privilege escalation compromises system security by allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with the highest level of permissions, potentially leading to full system compromise.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
To mitigate CVE-2026-7270, users should upgrade their FreeBSD systems to the patched versions released by the FreeBSD Project as of April 29, 2026.
Patches can be applied using pkg(8), freebsd-update(8), or by downloading and applying source code patches.
After applying the patches, it is recommended to reboot the system to ensure the fixes take effect.
How does this vulnerability affect compliance with common standards and regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA)?:
The vulnerability allows an unprivileged user to gain superuser privileges through a kernel buffer overflow, which could lead to unauthorized access or control over sensitive data and system functions.
Such unauthorized privilege escalation can impact compliance with standards and regulations like GDPR and HIPAA, which require strict controls over access to personal and sensitive information.
If exploited, this vulnerability could result in data breaches or unauthorized data manipulation, thereby violating requirements for data protection, access control, and system integrity mandated by these regulations.