CVE-2026-72854
MEDIUMDescription
msgpack_unpacker_expand_buffer in src/unpack.c, reached through the public msgpack_unpacker_reserve_buffer API, computes its new buffer size using an unchecked size_t addition of the requested size and the amount already used. The doubling loop guards its own multiplication against overflow, but the addition in the loop condition is unguarded, so a request near SIZE_MAX wraps: the loop condition is already satisfied, the allocation is performed at the small pre-wrap size, and the function returns true. The caller is told the requested capacity was reserved when it was not, so a subsequent write of the requested length overflows the heap buffer. The library's own example/lib_buffer_unpack.c demonstrates the reserve-then-write pattern, and its defensive assert comparing capacity against the request is compiled out under NDEBUG. msgpack-c's own decode entry points do not derive the reservation size from untrusted input, so reaching this requires an integration that passes an attacker-influenced length to the reservation API, such as a length-prefixed streaming transport.
How to fix
No published remediation has been found for this vulnerability's affected products yet.
Mitigation guidance may be in the linked vendor advisories in the References section below.
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CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L
Exploit Intelligence
Low risk: more likely to be exploited than 2% of all known CVEs.
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-190 (Integer Overflow) vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2020-16040 | Medium | 6.5 | 100% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2019-11477 | High | 7.5 | 99% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2023-44443 | High | 7.8 | 94% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2014-0569 | High | 9.3 | 92% | - | - |
| CVE-2017-3599 | High | 7.5 | 84% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2023-21716 | Critical | 9.8 | 82% | - | Fix |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2026-72854?
No published fix for CVE-2026-72854 has been found yet. Check the linked vendor advisories for guidance as it becomes available.
Is CVE-2026-72854 being actively exploited?
Not that we know of. CVE-2026-72854 is not in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Its EPSS score of 0.11% is the estimated probability that it will be exploited in the next 30 days. That is higher than 2% of all scored CVEs.
How severe is CVE-2026-72854?
CVE-2026-72854 has a CVSS v3 base score of 5.3, rated moderate. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2026-08-20.