CVE-2026-11810
NULL-pointer dereference in UpdateHub OTA agent on empty inner metadata array (remote DoS)
Description
The UpdateHub firmware-update agent's probe handler (z_impl_updatehub_probe() in subsys/mgmt/updatehub/updatehub.c) parses the JSON metadata returned by the update server into a fixed two-level nested-array struct. After parsing it validates only the outer array length (objects_len != 2) and then dereferences objects[1].objects[0].objects.sha256sum via strlen() without checking that the inner object array of element [1] is non-empty. The metadata is attacker-influenceable network input: the agent fetches it over CoAP from the configured UpdateHub server during its routine OTA probe. A malicious or compromised update server (or, when DTLS is disabled, a network man-in-the-middle) can return a response whose second outer object array is empty. Because the parse target is zero-initialised, the corresponding objects[1].objects[0].objects.sha256sum pointer is NULL, and the subsequent strlen() dereferences address zero. The same defect exists in both the 'any boards' and 'some boards' metadata layouts. The resulting CPU fault is fatal under Zephyr's default error handling, halting or resetting the device, so the flaw is a remotely triggerable denial of service. Impact is limited to availability; it is a read from NULL with no out-of-bounds write, memory corruption, or information disclosure. The fix rejects metadata whose inner object array is empty before any dereference, on both layouts.
INFO
Published Date :
Aug. 10, 2026, 9:17 p.m.
Last Modified :
Aug. 10, 2026, 9:17 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-11810
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | e2e69745-5e70-4e92-8431-deb5529a81ad | ||||
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | [email protected] | ||||
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | MITRE-CVE |
Solution
- Validate outer array length and inner object array non-emptiness.
- Reject metadata with an empty inner object array.
- Ensure proper parsing of JSON metadata.
- Apply the vendor-supplied fix.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-11810.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/commit/3424082022cb39d568434021b1d6f68b6a7fb3bf | |
| https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-jfpc-324j-84ww |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-11810 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-11810
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-11810 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-11810 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Aug. 10, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Affected [{'vendor': 'zephyrproject', 'product': 'zephyr', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '3.7.0', 'lessThan': '4.4.2', 'versionType': 'semver'}], 'packageName': 'zephyr', 'programFiles': ['subsys/mgmt/updatehub/updatehub.c'], 'collectionURL': 'https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr', 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}] Added Description The UpdateHub firmware-update agent's probe handler (z_impl_updatehub_probe() in subsys/mgmt/updatehub/updatehub.c) parses the JSON metadata returned by the update server into a fixed two-level nested-array struct. After parsing it validates only the outer array length (objects_len != 2) and then dereferences objects[1].objects[0].objects.sha256sum via strlen() without checking that the inner object array of element [1] is non-empty. The metadata is attacker-influenceable network input: the agent fetches it over CoAP from the configured UpdateHub server during its routine OTA probe. A malicious or compromised update server (or, when DTLS is disabled, a network man-in-the-middle) can return a response whose second outer object array is empty. Because the parse target is zero-initialised, the corresponding objects[1].objects[0].objects.sha256sum pointer is NULL, and the subsequent strlen() dereferences address zero. The same defect exists in both the 'any boards' and 'some boards' metadata layouts. The resulting CPU fault is fatal under Zephyr's default error handling, halting or resetting the device, so the flaw is a remotely triggerable denial of service. Impact is limited to availability; it is a read from NULL with no out-of-bounds write, memory corruption, or information disclosure. The fix rejects metadata whose inner object array is empty before any dereference, on both layouts. Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H Added CWE CWE-476 Added Reference https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/commit/3424082022cb39d568434021b1d6f68b6a7fb3bf Added Reference https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-jfpc-324j-84ww