Use After Free in Busybox

CVE-2026-38753

A use-after-free in the awk_sub() function (editors/awk.c) of Busybox v1.38.0 allows attackers to cause a Denial of Service (DoS) via supplying a crafted AWK script.

Vulnerability class: Use-After-Free

EPSS: 0.002 (15.7th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 4.9 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L.

Affected products

  • Busybox — versions 1.00, 1.38.0
  • N/a — versions n/a

Weakness classification (CWE)

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-38753?
CVE-2026-38753 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Busybox, classified under Use After Free. CVSS score: 4.9/10. Published 2026-07-15.
How severe is CVE-2026-38753?
Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 4.9 out of 10.