CVE-2026-48095: GHSL-2026-140_7-Zip: 7-Zip has a heap buffer overflow via NTFS compressed stream buffer under-allocation
7-Zip is a file archiver with a high compression ratio. Versions 26.00 and prior contain a heap buffer overflow vulnerability caused by an under-allocation in the NTFS compressed stream buffer (GetCuSize shift UB), potentially allowing attackers to cause arbitrary code execution or application crashes. CInStream::GetCuSize() in the NTFS handler computes the compression-unit buffer size as (UInt32)1 << (BlockSizeLog + CompressionUnit), and a crafted image with ClusterSizeLog >= 28 and CompressionUnit == 4 drives the exponent to 32, which is undefined behavior and collapses on x86/x64 so inBuf is allocated as 1 byte. ReadStreamFALSE then writes up to 256 MB of attacker-controlled data into that 1-byte buffer in 64 KB iterations, and because the CInStream object sits only 304 bytes after inBuf, its vtable pointer is overwritten and the next dispatched call achieves a vtable hijack. On 32-bit builds the overflow is unconditionally reached; on 64-bit it requires the parallel 8 GB outBuf allocation to succeed, otherwise failing closed to denial of service. The NTFS handler is enabled by default in stock 7z.dll and, via signature-based fallback matching "NTFS " at offset 3, will open a crafted image regardless of file extension during extraction or testing. Version 26.01 fixes the issue.
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2026-48095?
CVE-2026-48095 has a high severity rating of 8.8.
How do I fix CVE-2026-48095?
To fix CVE-2026-48095, update to 7-Zip version 26.01 or later.
What causes CVE-2026-48095?
CVE-2026-48095 is caused by a heap buffer overflow due to under-allocation in the NTFS compressed stream buffer.
What are the potential impacts of CVE-2026-48095?
CVE-2026-48095 can allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or crash the application.
Which versions of 7-Zip are affected by CVE-2026-48095?
7-Zip versions 26.00 and prior are affected by CVE-2026-48095.