PocketSphinx: Buffer overflows in language and acoustic model loading code
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- None
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · Low · None
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub.
Summary
PocketSphinx is a small speech recognizer. Prior to 5.1.1, the trie language-model loaders in src/lm/ngram_model_trie.c do not adequately validate boundary conditions in ARPA, DMP, and binary format headers, and the acoustic-model loaders in src/mdef.c and src/util/bio.c use sscanf with unbounded string fields. Loading an invalid, corrupted, or malicious language or acoustic model can therefore cause stack or heap buffer overflows and memory corruption. An attacker who can write to a directory selected by POCKETSPHINX_PATH can replace or add a model file that PocketSphinx later loads; users of PocketSphinx 5prealpha have no backported patch and must migrate to the fixed release. This issue is fixed in version 5.1.1.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cmusphinx | pocketsphinx | before 5.1.1 | 5.1.1 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | pocketsphinx (PyPI) | before 5.1.1 | 5.1.1 | Patch available | GHSA-56r5-2p2f-7cxp |
- pocketsphinx Vendorcmusphinx Affected before 5.1.1 Fixed in 5.1.1 Patch available CNA
- pocketsphinx (PyPI) Vendor— Affected before 5.1.1 Fixed in 5.1.1 Patch available GHSA-56r5-2p2f-7cxp
Remediation
- Fix · CNA pocketsphinx (cmusphinx) Fixed in 5.1.1
- Fix · GHSA-56r5-2p2f-7cxp pocketsphinx (PyPI) Fixed in 5.1.1 Advisory →
Vendor assessments
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-54559
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-56r5-2p2f-7cxp
References
Sources
- CVE-2026-54559 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-54559 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-56r5-2p2f-7cxp · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-54559 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences