jq: Stack Overflow in Recursive Object Merge
jq is a command-line JSON processor. In 1.8.1 and earlier, unbounded recursion in jv_object_merge_recursive() allows a crafted jq program to crash the process with a segfault. The function is reachable through the * operator when both operands are objects.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; 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 help- Published
- May 11, 2026
- Updated
- Jun 17, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.2% · 4th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-674
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Report tools
Action score
22
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.2%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- proof of concept
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- partial
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 5.5
- CNA · GitHub_M
- 6.2
- 0.7 point gap
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| jqlang | jq | cpe:2.3:a:jqlang:jq |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- jqlang jqup to 1.8.1 inclusive
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
jqlang jq
- <= 1.8.1affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine:v3.22 | jq | before 1.8.2-r0 | 1.8.2-r0 |
| Debian:12 | jq | before 1.6-2.1+deb12u2 | 1.6-2.1+deb12u2 |
| Debian:13 | jq | before 1.7.1-6+deb13u3 | 1.7.1-6+deb13u3 |
| Debian:14 | jq | before 1.8.1-6 | 1.8.1-6 |
| openSUSE:Leap 16.0 | jq | before 1.7.1-160000.4.1 | 1.7.1-160000.4.1 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | jq | before 1.8.1-3.1 | 1.8.1-3.1 |
| Red Hat:hummingbird:1 | jq | before 0:1.8.2-0.1.hum1 | 0:1.8.2-0.1.hum1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 | jq | before 1.7.1-150000.3.25.1 | 1.7.1-150000.3.25.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Micro 6.0 | jq | before 1.7.1-1.1 | 1.7.1-1.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Micro 6.1 | jq | before 1.7.1-slfo.1.1_4.1 | 1.7.1-slfo.1.1_4.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2 | jq | before 1.7.1-160000.4.1 | 1.7.1-160000.4.1 |
Same product
jqlang: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2024-53427decNumberCopy in decNumber.c in jq through 1.7.1 does not properly consider that NaN is interpreted as numeric, which has a resultant stack-32Monitor
- CVE-2026-40164jq: Algorithmic complexity DoS via hardcoded MurmurHash3 seed30Monitor
- CVE-2026-32316jq: Integer overflow in jvp_string_append() allows Heap-based Buffer Overflow30Monitor
- CVE-2025-48060AddressSanitizer: stack-buffer-overflow in jq_fuzz_execute (jv_string_vfmt)30Monitor
- CVE-2023-49355decToString in decNumber/decNumber.c in jq 88f01a7 has a one-byte out-of-bounds write via the " []-1.2e-1111111111" input.30Monitor
- CVE-2026-49839jq --rawfile invalid-state reuse after String too long causes heap-buffer-overflow28Monitor
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:jq | 1.8.2-r0 · Alpine:v3.22 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:jq | 1.6-2.1+deb12u2 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:jq | 1.8.1-3.1 · openSUSE:Tumbleweed | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:jq | 0:1.8.2-0.1.hum1 · Red Hat:hummingbird:1 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:jq | 1.7.1-160000.4.1 · SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2 | 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.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
- CVE-2026-4777045 days apartjq: stack overflow in deep structural equality27Monitor
- CVE-2026-3394728 days apartjq: Unbounded Recursion in jv_setpath(), jv_getpath() and delpaths_sorted()22Monitor
- CVE-2026-406120 days apartjq: Stack overflow via unbounded recursion in jv_contains21Monitor
- CVE-2026-447770 days apartjq: stack overflow in module loading on mutual `include`21Monitor
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
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- none
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-674 · Uncontrolled RecursionCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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
—
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
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