There is a use-after-free at asm/preproc.c (function pp_getline) in Netwide Assembler…
Priority LOW 26CWE-416Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Deferred Red Hat: fix deferred
Attack profile from CVSS 3.0 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-416 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
There is a use-after-free at asm/preproc.c (function pp_getline) in Netwide Assembler (NASM) 2.14rc16 that will cause a denial of service during certain finishes tests.
Why it matters now
EPSS 0.00789 56th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Public exploit Yes 1 exploit referenceTagged by NVD
Fix Deferred Red Hat: fix deferred
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | all versions | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- — Vendor— Affected all versions Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
Not affected: 1 product
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2018-20538
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-vvh8-8r3j-wmjw
References
More NASM Netwide Assembler vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-05320 Use after free in NASM CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.6
- TI-2026-05321 Out-of-bounds write in NASM CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2026-05319 Out-of-bounds write in NASM CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2004-01165 Buffer overflow in the error function in preproc.c for NASM 0.98.38 1.2 allows attackers… CVSS 2.0HIGH 10.0
- TI-2023-20017 Stack-based buffer over-read in disasm in nasm 2.16 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (crash). CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.5
- TI-2023-20016 Stack-based buffer over-read in function disasm in nasm 2.16 allows attackers to cause a denial of service. CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.5
Sources
- CVE-2018-20538 · CVE Program
- CVE-2018-20538 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-vvh8-8r3j-wmjw · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2018-20538 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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