Skip to main content

BusyBox EUVDEUVD-2026-44851

| CVE-2026-38755 LOW
Heap-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-122)
2026-07-15 mitre GHSA-jcqv-rj94-jmx3
2.9
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: mitre
View

Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Reach a BusyBox ash shell input path
  2. Delivery
    Supply crafted command input
  3. Exploit
    Overflow heap buffer in evalcommand()
  4. Execution
    Corrupt heap allocations
  5. Impact
    Crash shell process (denial of service)

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Heap buffer bounds checking
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution

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

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires the attacker to deliver crafted command input that reaches BusyBox 1.38.0's ash shell so that evalcommand() processes it - i.e., either the ability to invoke ash directly or an application/service that forwards attacker-controlled data into an ash instance. The impact is confined to a crash (availability only); there is no claimed code execution or data exposure. Limiting factors: the vulnerable code path is a local shell interpreter, so despite the published AV:N rating, practical remote exploitation depends on a deployment that specifically exposes ash to untrusted input - absent such a bridge, this is a local denial-of-service condition. No authentication requirement can be confirmed beyond the vector's PR:N, which is itself questionable given the local nature of the component.

Impact

The signals are mixed and warrant scrutiny. The published CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/C:N/I:N/A:H, score 7.5) rates this as network-reachable, unauthenticated, and low-complexity - yet the vulnerable component is a local shell interpreter that must be fed 'crafted input,' which typically implies local shell invocation or an application that pipes untrusted data into ash. This is a notable conflict: the network attack vector is only realistic where a service exposes ash to attacker-controlled input; otherwise this behaves as a local DoS - verify the exposure path with the vendor. EPSS is low (0.16%) and there is no KEV listing and no public exploit identified, consistent with a low-urgency, availability-only bug. SSVC-style reading: technical impact is partial (crash/DoS, no code execution claimed), automatability is unclear, and exploitation is not observed. Net: real but low priority for most deployments - patch on a normal cycle rather than as an emergency, unless you run ash against untrusted network input.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who can supply command input to a BusyBox ash shell - for example through a network-facing service, management interface, or automation hook that forwards user-controlled data to the shell - sends a specially crafted command string that overruns a heap buffer inside evalcommand(). The shell process crashes, denying service; on constrained embedded or container systems this can take down the affected function or device. No public proof-of-concept is available at time of analysis.

Monitor Track and reassess. Why: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9).
No patch listed yet 0.2% exploitation probability (EPSS)

Get an e-mail when this CVE is exploited, patched or re-scored. Free account.

Alert me

AnalysisAIv1 – Jul 16, 2026

Denial of service in BusyBox 1.38.0 stems from a heap-based buffer overflow in the evalcommand() routine of the ash shell interpreter (shell/ash.c), where crafted input corrupts heap memory and crashes the process. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, and the EPSS probability is low (0.16%, 6th percentile), indicating no observed exploitation activity. Impact is limited to availability - no confidentiality or integrity loss is claimed per the CVSS vector.

RemediationAI

No vendor-released patched version is identified in the provided data, so a specific fixed release cannot be cited - track the BusyBox mailing list thread (https://lists.busybox.net/pipermail/busybox/2026-June/092354.html) and https://busybox.com for an upstream fix and upgrade to the first release above 1.38.0 that references CVE-2026-38755 once published. As compensating controls until a patch is available: avoid piping untrusted or network-sourced data into a BusyBox ash shell (route such input through a hardened, non-BusyBox interpreter or a validating parser instead); where a service invokes ash on attacker-influenced input, add strict input validation/length limits upstream, or replace the embedded ash usage with a full shell (e.g. dash/bash) if the platform allows - trade-off is a larger footprint. For appliances/IoT, restrict shell access to trusted local users only, accepting reduced remote-management convenience. Consult the NVD (https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-38755) and VulDB (https://vuldb.com/vuln/379430) entries for updated fix guidance.

Affected VersionsENISA

n/a n/a

Affects your stack

Find out whether the stacks and servers you run are on an affected version.

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

BusyBox bundles dozens of stripped-down Unix utilities into a single binary and is a staple of embedded Linux, IoT firmware, container base images, and initramfs environments. The flaw lives in its 'ash' shell implementation (shell/ash.c), a lightweight POSIX-style command interpreter; specifically evalcommand(), the internal function that evaluates a parsed command node before execution. CWE-122 (heap-based buffer overflow) indicates the root cause is writing past the bounds of a dynamically allocated buffer on the heap - here triggered while the shell processes maliciously structured command input, corrupting heap metadata or adjacent allocations and crashing the interpreter.

Know when N A gets its next vulnerability

  • Watch products and get an email when something new is published
  • Check this CVE against your own stack and servers
  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

No credit card · 7-day full trial

Severity by source

Vendor (mitre) PRIMARY 2.9 LOW
AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
vuln.today AI 5.5 MEDIUM

The vulnerable ash interpreter processes locally supplied command input, so AV:L and PR:L are honest; impact is a crash only, giving A:H with C:N/I:N.

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (mitre).

CVSS VectorVendor: mitre

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

Lifecycle Timeline

5
Severity Changed
Jul 20, 2026 - 16:22 NVD
HIGH LOW
CVSS changed
Jul 20, 2026 - 16:22 NVD
7.5 (HIGH) 2.9 (LOW)
CVSS changed
Jul 16, 2026 - 16:22 NVD
7.5 (HIGH)
CVE Published
Jul 15, 2026 - 00:00 cve.org
HIGH 7.5
CVE Published
Jul 15, 2026 - 00:00 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)

DescriptionCVE.org

A heap overflow in the evalcommand() function (shell/ash.c) of Busybox v1.38.0 allows attackers to cause a Denial of Service (DoS) via supplying a crafted input.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

BusyBox 1.38.0 contains a denial-of-service vulnerability affecting embedded systems, IoT devices, and containerized environments. With no public exploit identified and exploitation probability at 0.2% (6th percentile), active attack risk is minimal; however, no vendor patch is currently available, requiring interim controls to ensure service availability.

Business Impact: Medium
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Restrict network access to systems running BusyBox 1.38.0; disable or limit ash shell interpreter functionality to authenticated or trusted sources; implement input validation and sanitization for all shell command inputs; remove or disable unnecessary shell features in production deployments; monitor the BusyBox project for security updates and establish a timeline to upgrade when patches are released.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.2%
Top 94% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
BusyBox ships in most embedded Linux, IoT firmware, and container images
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

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 LOW
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.2%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9)
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
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
Yes
Human Impact
Medium
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

14
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +14
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.

A heap overflow occurs when a program writes data beyond the bounds of a buffer allocated in the heap memory region.

Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.

More in N A

View all
CVE-2024-51092 CRITICAL POC
9.1 May 08

LibreNMS before 24.10.0 allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code via OS command injection involving AboutContr

CVE-2025-15684 MEDIUM POC
5.5 Aug 12

Reachable assertion in Open5GS up to version 2.7.6 allows remote unauthenticated attackers to crash the Diameter CER han

CVE-2024-45257 HIGH POC
7.3 May 08

A Command Injection issue in the payload build page in BYOB (Build Your Own Botnet) 2.0 allows attackers to execute arbi

CVE-2025-15687 LOW POC
2.1 Aug 12

Denial of service in Open5GS 2.7.6 and earlier allows network-adjacent attackers with low-privilege Diameter Gx peer acc

CVE-2025-15686 LOW POC
2.1 Aug 12

Denial of service in Open5GS HSS (Home Subscriber Server) versions 2.7.0 through 2.7.6 is triggered remotely by manipula

CVE-2025-67888 HIGH POC
7.3 May 08

Remote command injection in Control Web Panel allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary OS commands as root

CVE-2024-53326 HIGH POC
7.3 May 08

LINQPad before 5.52.01 Pro edition is vulnerable to Unsafe Deserialization in LINQPad.AutoRefManager::PopulateFromCache(

CVE-2026-38360 CRITICAL POC
9.8 May 08

Remote code execution in dash-uploader (Python package for Plotly Dash) versions 0.1.0 through 0.7.0a2 allows unauthenti

CVE-2026-30623 CRITICAL POC
9.8 Jul 15

Command injection in LiteLLM 1.18.10 lets attackers who can configure MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers supply arbitr

CVE-2026-67917 CRITICAL POC
9.8 Aug 17

SQL injection in AzuraCast's backup restore flow (versions up to and including 0.23.7) lets an attacker achieve privileg

CVE-2026-75337 CRITICAL POC
9.8 Aug 27

Arbitrary file read in Yu AI Code Mother v4.3 lets anonymous, remote attackers retrieve files outside the intended previ

CVE-2026-31072 CRITICAL POC
9.8 May 19

Remote code execution in APScheduler (all versions through 3.10.x and 4.0.0a5) is achievable when applications deseriali

This site uses cookies essential for authentication and security. No tracking or analytics cookies are used. Privacy Policy