Buffer overflow in Fossies Gawk

CVE-2026-40553

Buffer overflow vulnerability has been found in "extension/readdir.c" program file of gawk (ftype() routine). This issue could be used to crash the program and potentially to achieve code execution, although the latter has not been confirmed to be feasible. It affects gawk in versions 5.4.0 and below.

Vulnerability class: Buffer Overflow

EPSS: 0.003 (21.1th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 7.5 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.

Affected products

Weakness classification (CWE)

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-40553?
CVE-2026-40553 is a high-severity vulnerability in Fossies Gawk, classified under Stack-based Buffer Overflow. CVSS score: 7.5/10. Published 2026-07-13.
How severe is CVE-2026-40553?
High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 7.5 out of 10.