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Harfbuzz CVE-2026-0943

HIGH
NULL Pointer Dereference (CWE-476)
2026-01-19 9b29abf9-4ab0-4765-b253-1875cd9b441e
Null Pointer Dereference Harfbuzz Suse
7.5
CVSS 3.1 · NVD
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Send malformed font file
  2. Exploit
    HarfBuzz parser dereferences null pointer
  3. Impact
    Crash application denial of service

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
CWE-476
OWASP Top 10:2025
A10:2025 - Mishandling of Exceptional Conditions
ASVS 5.0
V16 - Security Logging and Error Handling Null pointer safety, defensive checks
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Impact

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

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Exploitation Conditions

HarfBuzz::Shaper Perl module version before 0.032 with bundled HarfBuzz library 8.4.0 or earlier processing untrusted font input via network or local file access.
Impact

CVSS 7.5 (HIGH). Attack vector: Network. Complexity: Low. Privileges required: None. User interaction: None.
Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to compromise the affected system.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Mar 12, 2026

HarfBuzz::Shaper for Perl versions before 0.032 contain a null pointer dereference in the bundled HarfBuzz library that allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service without authentication or user interaction. The vulnerability affects applications using vulnerable versions of the library and results in service unavailability. No patch is currently available.

Earlier versions of this analysis (1)
v1 Mar 12, 2026 - 21:54 CVSS 7.5

HarfBuzz::Shaper versions before 0.032 for Perl contains a bundled library with a null pointer dereference vulnerability. Versions before 0.032 contain HarfBuzz 8.4.0 or earlier bundled as hb_src.tar.gz in the source tarball, which is affected by CVE-2026-22693. [CVSS 7.5 HIGH]

RemediationAI

Monitor vendor advisories for a patch. Restrict network access to the affected service where possible.

Affects your stack

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Technical ContextAI · show details

Classified as CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference). Affects Harfbuzz\. HarfBuzz::Shaper versions before 0.032 for Perl contains a bundled library with a null pointer dereference vulnerability.

Versions before 0.032 contain HarfBuzz 8.4.0 or earlier bundled as hb_src.tar.gz in the source tarball, which is affected by CVE-2026-22693.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
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Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY 7.5 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
SUSE HIGH

Primary rating from NVD.

CVSS VectorNVD

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Patch released
Apr 09, 2026 - 14:30 nvd
Patch available
CVE Published
Jan 19, 2026 - 04:15 nvd
HIGH 7.5

DescriptionCVE.org

HarfBuzz::Shaper versions before 0.032 for Perl contains a bundled library with a null pointer dereference vulnerability.

Versions before 0.032 contain HarfBuzz 8.4.0 or earlier bundled as hb_src.tar.gz in the source tarball, which is affected by CVE-2026-22693.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

CVE-2026-0943 presents notable security risk, a null pointer dereference vulnerability rated CVSS 7.5. Exploitation could compromise the security of affected deployments. Organizations should apply vendor updates when available and consider compensating controls in the interim.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch. If immediate patching is not feasible: (1) Implement network-level access controls to limit exposure; (2) Enable enhanced monitoring and alerting; (3) Apply principle of least privilege.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 67% exploitable
Data Quality
3 sources
Confidence: Low
NVD CVE.org EPSS Vendor

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.1%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable· derived
Yes
Human Impact
High

Priority Score

38
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +38
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Null Pointer Dereference MEDIUM

A null pointer dereference occurs when a program attempts to access memory through a pointer that has been set to NULL (address 0x0).

Affected Products (CPE)CVE.org

cpe:2.3:a:jv:harfbuzz\:\:shaper:*:*:*:*:*:perl:*:*

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Same weakness CWE-476 – NULL Pointer Dereference

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Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: High
Product Status
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP7 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.2 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.4 Fixed

References

Advisories & patches
REF https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2429296 REF https://metacpan.org/release/JV/HarfBuzz-Shaper-0.032/changes REF https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-22693

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