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CVE-2026-96596

erl_tar:extract/2 loops forever on a GNU sparse member with a trailing hole

CVSS score

5.9

EPSS probability

—

Risk score

0.6

Published

5 h ago

Official patch verified

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Vulnerability description

CVE AI research

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DayBreach AI Explanation

Verified against sources

CVE-2026-96596: Infinite Loop Vulnerability in Erlang OTP and Related Packages

Sources read

1

Source agreement

Tam uyum

Evidence confidence

%55

Short explanation

An infinite loop vulnerability in Erlang OTP stdlib and related packages can allow a denial of service via a crafted tar archive.

Why does it matter?

The vulnerability allows attackers to lock up extraction processes and consume resources by supplying a specially crafted GNU sparse member inside a tar archive.

What should be done?

  • Follow vendor advisories to apply updates.
  • Review affected versions of OTP, stdlib, rebar3, hex, and hex_core.
  • Consider extraction using the memory option where applicable.
Chain of evidence and sources2 verified claims

Erlang OTP stdlib, hex_core, Hex ve rebar3 bileşenleri, hazırlanmış bir tar arşivi ile hizmet engellemeye yol açan bir sonsuz döngü zafiyeti içermektedir.

Sorun, GNU seyrek üyesinin trailing-hole koşulunun sıfır uzunluklu koşuldan önce eşleşmesi ve pozisyonu ilerletmeden sonsuza kadar yinelenmesinden kaynaklanır.

Show the technical text from the sources

Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop') vulnerability in Erlang OTP stdlib (erl_tar module), hexpm hex_core (hex_erl_tar module), hexpm hex (mix_hex_erl_tar module) and erlang rebar3 (r3_hex_erl_tar module) allows an attacker who supplies a tar archive to cause a denial of service via a crafted GNU sparse member. When erl_tar:extract/1,2 writes a member to disk, erl_tar:stream_to_file_loop/3 reads it in chunks of 65536 bytes by default. For a GNU sparse member whose sparse map ends before its real size, erl_tar:do_sparse_read/3 matches its trailing-hole clause before its zero-length clause. After the chunk is used up, the trailing-hole clause reads zero bytes, does not advance the position, and recurses forever. A 2048-byte archive keeps the extracting process and one scheduler busy until the process is killed. The {max_size, N} option prevents this only when N is below the real size of the member. Extraction with the memory option is not affected. hex_core ships its own copy of erl_tar as hex_erl_tar, and Hex and rebar3 ship hex_core with prefixed module names (mix_hex_erl_tar and r3_hex_erl_tar). These copies contain the same code and do not call stdlib's erl_tar, so they are affected on any OTP version. OTP 28 is not affected, but an application running on OTP 28 is affected if it extracts archives through an affected version of hex_core, Hex or rebar3. This issue affects OTP from OTP 29.0 before OTP 29.1.2, corresponding to stdlib from 8.0 before 8.1.1, and rebar3 from 3.27.1 onward, and hex from 2.4.2 onward; hex_core: from 0.14.0 onward.

CVSS vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

CWE: CWE-835

Explanation produced with the local gemini-flash-lite-latest model. Numerical metrics and the KEV, patch and exploit statuses are not determined by AI.

IMPACT: Affected Products and Software

Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-96596 vulnerability. Where our threat engine knows the exact affected versions, they are listed below.

IDVENDORPRODUCTACTION
1erlangOTP View
2erlangOTP View
3erlangOTP View
4erlangrebar3 View
5erlangrebar3 View
6hexpmhex View
7hexpmhex View
8hexpmhex_core View
9hexpmhex_core View
Total affected vendors: 2|Products: 9

RED HAT CSAF/VEX: Product Impact Check

Red Hat has not yet published a CSAF/VEX impact record for this CVE. This does not mean “not affected”.

SCORING: CVSS from Multiple Sources

CVSS Scores

The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardised framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and display CVSS scores from several sources for each CVE.

SCOREVERSIONSEVERITYVECTORSOURCE
5.9CVSS V40MEDIUMCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:XNVD
5.9CVSS V4_0MEDIUMCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:NCVE CNA

Patch and Remediation Guide

Solution & Remediation Advisory

Patch verified

2 doğrulanmış yama veya düzeltilmiş sürüm kanıtı bulundu.

cvelist

Fix commit 3086307 in erlang/otp

Open source
reference

Fix commit 3086307 in erlang/otp

Open source
Confirm the affected product and version against the source evidence above.
Restrict access to internet-facing services and apply network segmentation.
Apply the official update named in the evidence only to the matching product and version.
Monitor server logs and network endpoints for signs of anomalous execution.

Public exploit and active exploitation status

Verified exploit intelligence

No verified public PoC, exploit repository or Metasploit module has been found for this CVE yet.

Weakness Classification and Attack Patterns (CWE & CAPEC)

CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorises the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-96596 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-96596 weaknesses.

Attack Vector and Accessibility

ExposureYerel erişim
PermissionsGerekmiyor
UserGerekmiyor

Official Sources and Advisories

CVSS Vector Radar Chart

5.9 / 10
Attack VectorLocalComplexityLowPrivilegesNoneUser Interact.NoneConfidentialityLowIntegrityNoneAvailabilityHigh

Vulnerability Scoring Details

CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredNone required
User InteractionNone required
Confidentiality (Gizlilik)Low
Integrity (Bütünlük)None
Availability (Erişilebilirlik)High

Yama doğrulandı

2 doğrulanmış yama veya düzeltilmiş sürüm kanıtı bulundu.

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Weakness Type (CWE & CAPEC)

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