CVE-2026-44518

liboqs: XMSS Buffer Overread Bug

Published May 29, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 5.3 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
liboqs is a C-language cryptographic library that provides implementations of post-quantum cryptography algorithms. Prior to 0.16.0, an out-of-bounds read has been identified in the XMSS and XMSS^MT stateful signature verification code. When the verification function is called with a signature buffer shorter than the expected signature size for the given parameter set, the implementation does not validate the caller-supplied length and proceeds to read past the end of the buffer. The out-of-bounds bytes are consumed only as input to an internal hash computation and are not returned to the caller, so no oracle exists to leak their contents to an attacker. The primary observable effect is a possible crash (denial of service) of the verifying process if the read crosses into an unmapped memory page. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.16.0.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories available
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Openquantumsafe
Openquantumsafe liboqs
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:openquantumsafe:liboqs:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Openquantumsafe
Openquantumsafe liboqs
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Open Quantum Safe
Open Quantum Safe liboqs
Vendors & Products Open Quantum Safe
Open Quantum Safe liboqs
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'yes', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description liboqs is a C-language cryptographic library that provides implementations of post-quantum cryptography algorithms. Prior to 0.16.0, an out-of-bounds read has been identified in the XMSS and XMSS^MT stateful signature verification code. When the verification function is called with a signature buffer shorter than the expected signature size for the given parameter set, the implementation does not validate the caller-supplied length and proceeds to read past the end of the buffer. The out-of-bounds bytes are consumed only as input to an internal hash computation and are not returned to the caller, so no oracle exists to leak their contents to an attacker. The primary observable effect is a possible crash (denial of service) of the verifying process if the read crosses into an unmapped memory page. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.16.0.
Title liboqs: XMSS Buffer Overread Bug
Weaknesses CWE-125
CWE-20
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.3, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
GitHub_M
Published
Updated
May 29, 2026, 6:41 PM
Reserved
May 6, 2026, 6:28 PM
Status
Analyzed
Published
May 29, 2026, 7:16 PM
Modified
Jul 21, 2026, 6:10 PM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
May 29, 2026, 6:07 PM