CVE-2026-38752

Modified Modified - Updated After Analysis

Stack Overflow in BusyBox AWK Script Engine

Publication date: 2026-07-15

Last updated on: 2026-07-20

Assigner: MITRE

Description

A stack overflow in the evaluate() function (editors/awk.c) of BusyBox commit 371fe9 allows attackers to cause a Denial of Service (DoS) via supplying a crafted AWK script.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
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Meta Information

Published

2026-07-15

Last Modified

2026-07-20

Generated

2026-08-05

AI Q&A

2026-07-16

EPSS Evaluated

2026-08-03

NVD

CVE-2026-38752

EUVD

EUVD-2026-44848

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
busybox	busybox	2024-07-13

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-674	The product does not properly control the amount of recursion that takes place, consuming excessive resources, such as allocated memory or the program stack.
CWE-121	A stack-based buffer overflow condition is a condition where the buffer being overwritten is allocated on the stack (i.e., is a local variable or, rarely, a parameter to a function).

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a stack overflow in the evaluate() function within the AWK script interpreter of BusyBox. It occurs in the file editors/awk.c and can be triggered by a specially crafted AWK script. The flaw allows attackers to cause a Denial of Service (DoS) by overflowing the stack, leading to program crashes or instability.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability involves a stack overflow in BusyBox's AWK script interpreter. To detect it, check if your system runs a vulnerable version of BusyBox (commit 371fe9 or earlier). Use commands like 'busybox | head -1' to identify the version. If the version is affected, inspect AWK scripts for unusual input handling. No specific detection commands are provided in the context.

Impact Analysis

If you use BusyBox with the vulnerable AWK interpreter, an attacker could exploit this flaw to crash your system or applications relying on BusyBox. This may disrupt services, cause data loss, or require system reboots to restore functionality.

Compliance Impact

The vulnerability causes a Denial of Service (DoS) via stack overflow in BusyBox's AWK script evaluation. This may impact compliance with standards requiring availability of systems, such as GDPR's data integrity principles or HIPAA's access controls, if exploited to disrupt critical services.

Mitigation Strategies

Update BusyBox to a version that fixes the stack overflow in the evaluate() function. Monitor for any unusual activity or crashes in AWK script processing.

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