CVE-2026-54697 ConnectBot SSH: Excessive allocation and integer overflow in DER private-key parsing
Attackers can cause denial of service via integer overflow and excessive memory allocation when parsing malicious DER private keys in ConnectBot SSH library.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- A user has to click or open something
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-54697?
CVE-2026-54697 is a medium-severity vulnerability in connectbot cbssh, published on 13 Oct 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Official description
ConnectBot SSH Client Library is written in Kotlin with Kaitai Struct and KStateMachine. Prior to 0.3.1, DerReader.readLength() accepts excessive long-form DER length octets, accumulates them into an Int, and primitive readers allocate arrays without checking the declared size against the remaining input. An application or user that loads an attacker-provided private-key file through SshClient.authenticatePublicKey(), SshKeys.decodePemPrivateKey(), SshSigning.sign(), or SshSigning.getPublicKey() can trigger integer wraparound, excessive allocation, or an uncaught OutOfMemoryError. SSH server host keys and agent-forwarding messages do not use this application-supplied private-key input path. No usable weakened key and no confidentiality or integrity impact have been demonstrated. This issue is fixed in version 0.3.1.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-54697?
2 open source packages ship an affected version, including org.connectbot.sshlib:sshlib.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
org.connectbot.sshlib:sshlib Maven | All versions to 0.3.0 | None |
org.connectbot.sshlib:sshlib Maven | All versions to 0.3.0 | None |
How do I fix CVE-2026-54697?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-54697 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Is CVE-2026-54697 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-54697 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-vc8p-8pxg-rfwg.