CVE-2026-53910: Heap-based Buffer Overflow in GNU diffutils

Published Jul 22, 2026
·
Updated

diff3 tool from GNU diffutils is vulnerable to a heap‑based buffer overflow due to multiple signed integer overflows in line‑mapping calculations. Incorrect arithmetic in mapping line ranges can result in corrupted values being used for memory allocation and loop bounds. When processing crafted diff output, these overflows may cause the application to allocate insufficient memory and subsequently perform out‑of‑bounds writes during internal processing.  An attacker who can control the output of the diff program used by diff3 (e.g. via --diff-program pointing to a malicious script) can trigger out-of-bounds writes, resulting in a crash and potentially remote code execution depending on the environment.

This issue has been fixed in commit 9ff04d5b84743e331e80b589335a52c5480d1815

Affected Software

1 affected component
GNU diffutils (diff3 tool)

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade GNU diffutils (diff3) to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 9ff04d5b84743e331e80b589335a52c5480d1815

Event History

Jul 22, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·01:42 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·01:42 PM
DescriptionWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·02:17 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-53910?

CVE-2026-53910 has a risk score of 52, indicating a significant security concern.

2

What causes CVE-2026-53910?

CVE-2026-53910 is caused by a heap-based buffer overflow due to multiple signed integer overflows in line-mapping calculations in the diff3 tool.

3

How do I fix CVE-2026-53910?

To fix CVE-2026-53910, update to the latest version of GNU diffutils that includes the patch addressing this vulnerability.

4

Which software is affected by CVE-2026-53910?

CVE-2026-53910 affects the diff3 tool within the GNU diffutils software package.

5

What are the implications of exploiting CVE-2026-53910?

Exploitation of CVE-2026-53910 can lead to memory corruption, potentially allowing for arbitrary code execution.

Contact

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