Off-by-One Error in Popt Command-Line Library by Red Hat
CVE-2026-18739

2.5LOW

Key Information:

Vendor

Red Hat
Status
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
Vendor
CVE Published:
4 August 2026

What is CVE-2026-18739?

A vulnerability exists within the popt library—a command-line option parsing tool used by various applications. This vulnerability stems from an off-by-one error in the poptStuffArgs function, which can be triggered after multiple invocations or through complex alias nesting. This flaw leads to the potential corruption of internal program data, creating an opportunity for a local attacker to manipulate system processes. If the compromised data is later processed by the host application without sufficient validation, it could allow for the execution of arbitrary code, which poses a significant risk to system integrity and security.

References

https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-18739
vdb-entryx_refsource_REDHAT
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2510737
issue-trackingx_refsource_REDHAT

CVSS V3.1

Score:
2.5
Severity:
LOW
Confidentiality:
None
Integrity:
None
Availability:
None
Attack Vector:
Local
Attack Complexity:
High
Privileges Required:
Low
User Interaction:
None
Scope:
Unchanged

Timeline

  • Vulnerability published

  • Vulnerability Reserved

.