CVE-2026-0861

Integer overflow in memalign leads to heap corruption

Published Jan 14, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 8.4 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
Passing too large an alignment to the memalign suite of functions (memalign, posix_memalign, aligned_alloc) in the GNU C Library version 2.30 to 2.42 may result in an integer overflow, which could consequently result in a heap corruption.

Note that the attacker must have control over both, the size as well as the alignment arguments of the memalign function to be able to exploit this. The size parameter must be close enough to PTRDIFF_MAX so as to overflow size_t along with the large alignment argument. This limits the malicious inputs for the alignment for memalign to the range [1<<62+ 1, 1<<63] and exactly 1<<63 for posix_memalign and aligned_alloc.

Typically the alignment argument passed to such functions is a known constrained quantity (e.g. page size, block size, struct sizes) and is not attacker controlled, because of which this may not be easily exploitable in practice. An application bug could potentially result in the input alignment being too large, e.g. due to a different buffer overflow or integer overflow in the application or its dependent libraries, but that is again an uncommon usage pattern given typical sources of alignments.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-4621-1 glibc security update
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'poc', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:gnu:glibc:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Passing too large an alignment to the memalign suite of functions (memalign, posix_memalign, aligned_alloc, valloc, pvalloc) in the GNU C Library version 2.30 to 2.42 may result in an integer overflow, which could consequently result in a heap corruption. Passing too large an alignment to the memalign suite of functions (memalign, posix_memalign, aligned_alloc) in the GNU C Library version 2.30 to 2.42 may result in an integer overflow, which could consequently result in a heap corruption. Note that the attacker must have control over both, the size as well as the alignment arguments of the memalign function to be able to exploit this. The size parameter must be close enough to PTRDIFF_MAX so as to overflow size_t along with the large alignment argument. This limits the malicious inputs for the alignment for memalign to the range [1<<62+ 1, 1<<63] and exactly 1<<63 for posix_memalign and aligned_alloc. Typically the alignment argument passed to such functions is a known constrained quantity (e.g. page size, block size, struct sizes) and is not attacker controlled, because of which this may not be easily exploitable in practice. An application bug could potentially result in the input alignment being too large, e.g. due to a different buffer overflow or integer overflow in the application or its dependent libraries, but that is again an uncommon usage pattern given typical sources of alignments.
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Gnu
Gnu glibc
Vendors & Products Gnu
Gnu glibc
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 8.4, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'poc', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Passing too large an alignment to the memalign suite of functions (memalign, posix_memalign, aligned_alloc, valloc, pvalloc) in the GNU C Library version 2.30 to 2.42 may result in an integer overflow, which could consequently result in a heap corruption.
Title Integer overflow in memalign leads to heap corruption
Weaknesses CWE-190
References
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
glibc
Published
Updated
Apr 29, 2026, 1:28 PM
Reserved
Jan 12, 2026, 2:35 PM
Status
Analyzed
Published
Jan 14, 2026, 9:15 PM
Modified
Jun 17, 2026, 10:11 AM
Severity
Important
Public date
Jan 14, 2026, 9:01 PM