CVE-2026-88842 Busybox: busybox: dpkg stale field_start pointer causes out-of-bounds read and status file corruption
A stale pointer in BusyBox dpkg causes out-of-bounds reads and status file corruption when removing multiple packages, potentially leading to data integrity issues.
- 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
- Available
What is CVE-2026-88842?
CVE-2026-88842 is a low-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Red Hat Hardened Images, published on 14 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
A flaw was found in BusyBox dpkg. The write_status_file() function does not reset a field cursor between package stanzas. When two packages are removed in a single invocation and the first stanza is larger than the second, the second package stanza can be dropped from the status file, causing limited data corruption.
Weakness: CWE-125
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-88842?
How do I fix CVE-2026-88842?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. Memory-safe languages, compiler hardening and fuzzing prevent most new cases. More about Memory corruption.
Is CVE-2026-88842 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-88842 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as AZL-109773, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-88842, GHSA-9p9q-94fg-r728, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-88842.