Mongoose: Unauthenticated remote heap out-of-bounds read in built-in TLS: off-by-one length check in mg_tls_recv_record() underflows recv_len to SIZE_MAX
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-73252 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | GitHub_M |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-10-14 19:17:19 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-10-16 20:04:29 UTC |
| Description | Mongoose is an embedded web server and network library. Prior to 7.23, the built-in TLS stack selected by MG_TLS_BUILTIN in src/tls_builtin.c accepts a TLS 1.3 record whose decrypted size is exactly the 16-byte authentication tag with no plaintext or ContentType byte. In mg_tls_recv_record(), the msgsz length check permits that record and the recv_len calculation underflows to SIZE_MAX, so a later handshake step treats stale buffer contents as a trusted message with an effectively unbounded length. An unauthenticated malicious TLS peer can trigger a heap out-of-bounds read before certificate or Finished validation, causing a remote denial of service. This issue is fixed in version 7.23. |
Risk And Classification
Primary CVSS: v3.1 7.5 HIGH from [email protected]
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
EPSS: 0.003760000 probability, percentile 0.300210000 (date 2026-10-16)
Problem Types: CWE-125 | CWE-191 | CWE-191 CWE-191: Integer Underflow (Wrap or Wraparound) | CWE-125 CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read
| Version | Source | Type | Score | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | [email protected] | Secondary | 7.5 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
| 3.1 | CNA | DECLARED | 7.5 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
CVSS v3.1 Breakdown
Attack Vector
NetworkAttack Complexity
LowPrivileges Required
NoneUser Interaction
NoneScope
UnchangedConfidentiality
NoneIntegrity
NoneAvailability
HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Vendor Declared Affected Products
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| github.com/cesanta/mongoose/commit/758e301f0c9a9885c1b716195df5fe6d6ac9d53e | [email protected] | github.com | |
| github.com/cesanta/mongoose/security/advisories/GHSA-hq58-98f5-2wg3 | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 | github.com | |
| github.com/cesanta/mongoose/releases/tag/7.23 | [email protected] | github.com | |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
No vendor comments have been submitted for this CVE.
There are currently no legacy QID mappings associated with this CVE.