GNU Wget: heap overflow in HTTP protocol handling
The retr.c:fd_read_body() function is called when processing OK responses. When the response is sent chunked in wget before 1.19.2, the chunk parser uses strtol() to read each chunk's length, but doesn't check that the chunk length is a non-negative number. The code then tries to read the chunk in pieces of 8192 bytes by using the MIN() macro, but ends up passing the negative chunk length to retr.c:fd_read(). As fd_read() takes an int argument, the high 32 bits of the chunk length are discarded, leaving fd_read() with a completely attacker controlled length argument. The attacker can corrupt malloc metadata after the allocated buffer.
- Published
- Oct 27, 2017
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 36.6% · 98th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-122
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Report tools
Action score
46
Plan
Add it to your regular patch cycle.
- CVSS
- 35 / 40 · 8.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 11 / 30 · 36.6%
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 8.8
- CNA · certcc
- 8.8
- agree
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Affected systems
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- debian debian linux8.0
- debian debian linux9.0
- gnu wgetup to 1.19.1 inclusive
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (certcc). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
GNU Project Wget
- prior to 1.19.2affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine:v3.10 | wget | before 1.19.2-r0 | 1.19.2-r0 |
| Alpine:v3.4 | wget | before 1.18-r2 | 1.18-r2 |
| Alpine:v3.5 | wget | before 1.18-r3 | 1.18-r3 |
| Debian:12 | wget | before 1.19.2-1 | 1.19.2-1 |
| Debian:7 | wget | before 1.13.4-3+deb7u5 | 1.13.4-3+deb7u5 |
| Debian:8 | wget | before 1.16-1+deb8u4 | 1.16-1+deb8u4 |
| Debian:9 | wget | before 1.18-5+deb9u1 | 1.18-5+deb9u1 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | wget | before 1.21.1-2.2 | 1.21.1-2.2 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | wget | before 0:1.14-15.el7_4.1 | 0:1.14-15.el7_4.1 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | wget-debuginfo | before 0:1.14-15.el7_4.1 | 0:1.14-15.el7_4.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for Raspberry Pi 12 SP2 | wget | before 1.14-21.3.1 | 1.14-21.3.1 |
Same product
gnu: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2017-13089GNU Wget: stack overflow in HTTP protocol handling59Plan
- CVE-2016-4971GNU wget before 1.18 allows remote servers to write to arbitrary files by redirecting a request from HTTP to a crafted FTP resource.49Plan
- CVE-2014-4877Absolute path traversal vulnerability in GNU Wget before 1.16, when recursion is enabled, allows remote FTP servers to write to arbitrary fi49Plan
- CVE-2019-5953Buffer overflow in GNU Wget 1.20.1 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) or may execute an arbitrary code v41Plan
- CVE-2024-38428url.c in GNU Wget through 1.24.5 mishandles semicolons in the userinfo subcomponent of a URI, and thus there may be insecure behavior in whi36Monitor
- CVE-2026-58469GNU Wget 1.25.0 Heap Buffer Underread via Metalink URL Parsing34Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| alpine:wget | 1.19.2-r0 · Alpine:v3.10 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:wget | 1.19.2-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:wget | 1.21.1-2.2 · openSUSE:Tumbleweed | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:wget | 0:1.14-15.el7_4.1 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:wget-debuginfo | 0:1.14-15.el7_4.1 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:wget | 1.14-21.3.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for Raspberry Pi 12 SP2 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- A user must open a link or visit a page.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-122 · Heap-based Buffer OverflowCVSS vector
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
—
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/wget.git/commit/?id=ba6b44f6745b14dce414761a8e4b35d31b176bba
- www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-4008
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/101590
- www.securitytracker.com/id/1039661
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:3075
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/201711-06
- www.synology.com/support/security/Synology_SA_17_62_Wget
- www.viestintavirasto.fi/en/cybersecurity/vulnerabilities/2017/haavoittuvuus-2017-037.html
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.