The try_read_command function in memcached.c in memcached before 1.4.39 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (segmentation f
The try_read_command function in memcached.c in memcached before 1.4.39 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (segmentation fault) via a request to add/set a key, which makes a comparison between signed and unsigned int and triggers a heap-based buffer over-read. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2016-8705.
- Published
- Jul 17, 2017
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 4.2% · 91th percentile
- CWE
- —
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Report tools
Action score
31
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 30 / 40 · 7.5 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 1 / 30 · 4.2%
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| memcached | memcached | cpe:2.3:a:memcached:memcached |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- memcached memcachedup to 1.4.38 inclusive
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine:v3.3 | memcached | before 1.4.33-r1 | 1.4.33-r1 |
| Alpine:v3.6 | memcached | before 1.4.36-r1 | 1.4.36-r1 |
| Debian:12 | memcached | before 1.5.0-1 | 1.5.0-1 |
| Debian:7 | memcached | before 1.4.13-0.2+deb7u3 | 1.4.13-0.2+deb7u3 |
| Debian:8 | memcached | before 1.4.21-1.1+deb8u2 | 1.4.21-1.1+deb8u2 |
| Debian:9 | memcached | before 1.4.33-1+deb9u1 | 1.4.33-1+deb9u1 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | memcached | before 1.6.9-2.3 | 1.6.9-2.3 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for Raspberry Pi 12 SP2 | memcached | before 1.4.39-4.3.1 | 1.4.39-4.3.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 11 SP4 | memcached | before 1.2.6-5.17.4.1 | 1.2.6-5.17.4.1 |
| SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 6 | memcached | before 1.4.39-3.3.1 | 1.4.39-3.3.1 |
| SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 7 | memcached | before 1.4.39-3.3.2 | 1.4.39-3.3.2 |
Same product
memcached: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2018-1000115Memcached version 1.5.5 contains an Insufficient Control of Network Message Volume (Network Amplification, CWE-406) vulnerability in the UDP56Plan
- CVE-2016-8706An integer overflow in process_bin_sasl_auth function in Memcached, which is responsible for authentication commands of Memcached binary pro46Plan
- CVE-2016-8704An integer overflow in the process_bin_append_prepend function in Memcached, which is responsible for processing multiple commands of Memcac46Plan
- CVE-2016-8705Multiple integer overflows in process_bin_update function in Memcached, which is responsible for processing multiple commands of Memcached b45Plan
- CVE-2023-46853In Memcached before 1.6.22, an off-by-one error exists when processing proxy requests in proxy mode, if \n is used instead of \r\n.39Monitor
- CVE-2020-10931Memcached 1.6.x before 1.6.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) via a crafted binary protocol header to try38Monitor
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:memcached | 1.4.33-r1 · Alpine:v3.3 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:memcached | 1.5.0-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:memcached | 1.6.9-2.3 · openSUSE:Tumbleweed | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:memcached | 1.4.39-3.3.2 · SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 7 | 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.
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.
- 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
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
—
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
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
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/99874
- github.com/memcached/memcached/wiki/ReleaseNotes1439
- groups.google.com/forum/message/raw?msg=memcached/ubGWrkmrr4E/nrm1SeVJAQAJ
- usn.ubuntu.com/3588-1/
- www.debian.org/security/2018/dsa-4218
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.