CVE-2026-103658

5.9 MEDIUM 0.2% exploit odds Fix listed Memory safety

What it is

GNU Aspell 0.60.8.2 (first vulnerable version is not known) contains a heap-based buffer overflow write (CWE-122) in its read-only dictionary loader. String::reserve() in common/string.hpp computes its capacity check with a signed int ((int)s + 1), so a requested size of 0x7FFFFFFF wraps negative and the backing buffer is never grown. ReadOnlyDict::load() in modules/speller/default/readonly_ws.cpp passes the unvalidated 32-bit size fields from a .rws dictionary header into this path, so a crafted .rws file with a valid endian marker (12345678) and an oversized length field (e.g. lang_name_size = 0x7FFFFFFF) causes attacker-controlled data to be written out of bounds past an undersized heap allocation. An attacker who induces a victim to load a malicious dictionary — for example via aspell dump master <file> — can corrupt heap memory, resulting in denial of service and potentially code execution. Fixed in b830b6e and will be fixed in release 0.60.8.3.

At a glance

Exploitability: Can be exploited locally on the machine without logging in. Limited direct impact.
Exploit odds: 0.2% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS).
Fix: A patch, advisory or fixed version is referenced. Upgrade or apply it.

Timeline

2026-10-12 22:17 UTC PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
2026-10-16 15:20 UTC Last updatedMost recent change to the record

Why it ranks here

Exploited in the wild: no, CISA does not list it.
Exploit odds: 0.2% in the next 30 days (EPSS).
Severity: 5.9 MEDIUM (CVSS).
Fix: a patch or advisory is linked.

Details

Published: 2026-10-12 22:17 UTC
Last modified: 2026-10-16 15:20 UTC
Exploit probability: 0.2% · EPSS, next 30 days
Weakness: CWE-122
Record status: Awaiting Analysis

Attack profile CVSS 3.1 · 5.9

Attack vector: Local
Complexity: Low
Privileges needed: None
User interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: Low
Availability: Low

Raw vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

Is it in your code?

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Fix and advisories

References

NVD record · CVE.org record