CVE-2026-44605
Received Received - Intake

Heap Buffer Overflow in RPM Package Manager

Publication date: 2026-08-05

Last updated on: 2026-08-05

Assigner: Red Hat, Inc.

Description
A flaw was found in the RPM Package Manager (RPM). A local user could be affected by a heap buffer overflow vulnerability when processing a specially crafted NDB database file. This issue arises from an error in how RPM handles certain calculations during file parsing, leading to an incorrect memory allocation. An attacker could leverage this to cause a denial of service, making the system unavailable.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-05
Last Modified
2026-08-05
Generated
2026-08-05
AI Q&A
2026-08-05
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-44605
EUVD
EUVD-2026-53565

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 2 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
redhat rpm *
redhat rpm From 2026-05-28 (inc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-190 The product performs a calculation that can produce an integer overflow or wraparound when the logic assumes that the resulting value will always be larger than the original value. This occurs when an integer value is incremented to a value that is too large to store in the associated representation. When this occurs, the value may become a very small or negative number.

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Executive Summary

CVE-2026-44605 is a heap buffer overflow vulnerability in RPM's NDB database backend. It occurs when RPM processes a specially crafted NDB database file. The flaw stems from unchecked 32-bit arithmetic during file parsing, where a slotnpages value from the file causes a multiplication to wrap to a small number. This leads to an undersized heap allocation. The system then writes data beyond the allocated buffer, potentially causing crashes or memory corruption.

Exploitation requires a local attacker to trick a victim into opening a malicious NDB database file with RPM tooling. Note that NDB is not the default backend in Fedora or RHEL, which use SQLite instead.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability requires a crafted NDB database file to trigger. Monitor for crashes or memory corruption when RPM processes Packages.db files. Check for unusual heap allocations or buffer overflow errors in logs. Use tools like rpm -V to verify package integrity.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could allow a local attacker to cause a denial of service by crashing the system or making it unavailable. It may lead to crashes, resource exhaustion, or memory corruption if exploited. However, the impact is limited because NDB is not the default backend in most systems like Fedora or RHEL.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability primarily causes a denial of service by crashing the system due to heap buffer overflow, which does not directly impact data confidentiality or integrity. Standards like GDPR and HIPAA focus on protecting data privacy and security, so this issue does not directly violate those requirements unless system unavailability disrupts access to protected data.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply available security updates from Red Hat or your distribution. Avoid opening untrusted RPM or NDB database files. If using Fedora or RHEL, note that NDB is not the default backend, reducing exposure. Monitor for updates from Red Hat Product Security.

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