Heap-based buffer overflow in Erlang OTP
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- Present
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 1 fixed, 4 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-122 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
An attacker that connects to an open Erlang TCP port that uses the inet driver with {packet,4} mode can use a signed overflow in an incorrect packet length calculation to overflow the receive buffer into the VM allocator area and beyond up to about 2 GB. This would easily trash the allocated block's allocator metadata footer, and the next block, if any, and most likely cause the BEAM VM to crash. Utilizing this with precision enough to achieve Remote Code Execution would be extremely unfeasible. This issue affects OTP from OTP 17.0 before OTP 27.3.4.17, from OTP 28.0 before OTP 28.5.0.6, and from OTP 29.0 before OTP 29.0.6, corresponding to erts from 6.0 before 15.2.7.13, from 16.0 before 16.4.0.6, and from 17.0 before 17.0.6. Whether OTP before OTP 17.0, corresponding to erts before 6.0, is affected is unknown.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erlang | OTP | 17.0 to before 27.3.4.17; 28.0 to before 28.5.0.6; 29.0 to before 29.0.6 | 27.3.4.17, 28.5.0.6, 29.0.6 | Patch available | CNA |
| Erlang | OTP | 6.0 to before 15.2.7.13; 16.0 to before 16.4.0.6; 17.0 to before 17.0.6 | 15.2.7.13, 16.4.0.6, 17.0.6 | Patch available | CNA |
- OTP VendorErlang Affected 17.0 to before 27.3.4.17; 28.0 to before 28.5.0.6; 29.0 to before 29.0.6 Fixed in 27.3.4.17, 28.5.0.6, 29.0.6 Patch available CNA
- OTP VendorErlang Affected 6.0 to before 15.2.7.13; 16.0 to before 16.4.0.6; 17.0 to before 17.0.6 Fixed in 15.2.7.13, 16.4.0.6, 17.0.6 Patch available CNA
Remediation
- Fix · CNA OTP (Erlang) Fixed in 27.3.4.17, 28.5.0.6, 29.0.6
- Fix · CNA OTP (Erlang) Fixed in 15.2.7.13, 16.4.0.6, 17.0.6
Red Hat 1 advisory
- RHSA-2026:63160 Released 2026-09-03 · Red Hat rating ImportantRed Hat Hardened Images RPMs bug fix and enhancement update
- Red Hat Hardened Images erlang27-27.3.4.17-1.hum1@aarch64, erlang27-27.3.4.17-1.hum1@src, erlang27-27.3.4.17-1.hum1@x86_64 +47
Fixed in the same release
Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.
- Release ·
Erlang OTP 17.0, 27.3.4.17 and 2 more versions
11 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 2 MEDIUM, 9 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2026-50021 httpd applies no timeout while receiving a request body, parking a worker on a stalled clientPriority MEDIUM 45
- TI-2026-52570 inets,httpd: Memory Exhaustion via Unenforced max_body_size During Chunked Body ReceptionPriority MEDIUM 44
- TI-2026-47459 httpd mod_auth directory protection bypassed by a doubled slash in the request pathPriority LOW 38
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Important. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat OpenStack Platform 13 (Queens) | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat OpenStack Platform 16.2 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat OpenStack Platform 17.1 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat OpenStack Platform 18.0 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Hardened Images | Fixed | RHSA-2026:63160 |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-75538
References
More Erlang vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-23504 Erlang/OTP SSH Vulnerable to Pre-Authentication RCE KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 10.0
- TI-2026-48954 httpd parks a request worker indefinitely on a malformed chunk size sent after the headers CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
- TI-2023-26623 The SSH transport protocol with certain OpenSSH extensions, found in OpenSSH before 9.6… CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.9
- TI-2026-71037 Path traversal in rebar3 via unvalidated dependency app names CVSS 4.0HIGH 7.5
- TI-2024-36042 ssl fails to validate incorrect extened key usage CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.5
- TI-2020-10791 Rebar3 versions 3.0.0-beta.3 to 3.13.2 are vulnerable to OS command injection via URL… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
Sources
- CVE-2026-75538 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-75538 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- CVE-2026-75538 · 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