CVE-2026-24857 bulk_extractor has Heap-based Buffer Overflow vulnerability
A heap-based buffer overflow in bulk_extractor's embedded unrar code allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a crash via a crafted RAR file.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-24857?
CVE-2026-24857 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in simsong bulk_extractor, published on 28 Jan 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
`bulk_extractor` is a digital forensics exploitation tool. Starting in version 1.4, `bulk_extractor`’s embedded unrar code has a heap‑buffer‑overflow in the RAR PPM LZ decoding path. A crafted RAR inside a disk image causes an out‑of‑bounds write in `Unpack::CopyString`, leading to a crash under ASAN (and likely a crash or memory corruption in production builds). There's potential for using this for RCE. As of time of publication, no known patches are available.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-24857?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Simsong Bulk Extractor.
How do I fix CVE-2026-24857?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-24857 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Upgrade to the fixed version. Memory-safe languages, compiler hardening and fuzzing prevent most new cases. More about Memory corruption.
Is CVE-2026-24857 being exploited?
It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-24857 exists.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-rh8m-9xrx-q64q.