5.3
MEDIUM CVSS 3.1
CVE-2026-12634
Out-of-bounds stack write in the settings NVS backend from over-reported nvs_read length
Description

The NVS backend of the Zephyr settings subsystem (subsys/settings/src/settings_nvs.c) reads stored setting-name entries into fixed 74-byte stack buffers and NUL-terminates them with buf[rc] = '\0', where rc is the return value of nvs_read(). Per its contract, nvs_read() returns the full stored entry length (wlk_ate.len), which can exceed the supplied buffer length — only MIN(len, stored_len) bytes are actually copied, but the return value may be much larger, bounded only by the NVS sector size. Three sites (settings_nvs_cache_match(), settings_nvs_load(), and settings_nvs_save()) used this value directly as the NUL index without clamping, so an oversized stored name entry causes a single \0 byte to be written past the end of the stack buffer at an attacker-influenced offset (CWE-787). The oversized entry cannot arise through the normal settings API, where names are bounded by SETTINGS_MAX_NAME_LEN. It requires an actor able to write the flash that backs the settings partition — a co-resident or untrusted component sharing the flash device, a malicious settings image/restore, or offline/physical flash access (a shared-flash threat model). The malformed entry is parsed when settings_load() runs at boot or subsystem init, or during settings_save(). The out-of-bounds write is a single NUL byte at an offset equal to the crafted entry length (up to the NVS sector size), so the practical impact is a crash or denial of service and limited stack corruption rather than reliable code execution. There is no confidentiality impact, and the path is not reachable from the network through the ordinary settings interface. The fix skips any entry whose nvs_read() length is greater than or equal to the buffer size before performing the NUL store.

INFO

Published Date :

Aug. 19, 2026, 9:16 p.m.

Last Modified :

Aug. 26, 2026, 4:59 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

No
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-12634 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.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 Zephyrproject zephyr
2 Zephyrproject zephyr
CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
CVSS 3.1 MEDIUM e2e69745-5e70-4e92-8431-deb5529a81ad
CVSS 3.1 MEDIUM [email protected]
CVSS 3.1 MEDIUM MITRE-CVE
Solution
Prevent stack buffer overflow by validating read entry length before null-termination.
  • Validate nvs_read() return value against buffer size.
  • Clamp the null-termination index to buffer bounds.
  • Ensure only trusted actors can write to flash.
  • Update the Zephyr settings subsystem.
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-2026-12634.

URL Resource
https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/commit/e79a0db70fc9ad33982f9786b428b115a78eaadd
https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-q7c8-m2qg-385c
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-12634 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-2026-12634 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-2026-12634 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2026-12634 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.

  • CVE Modified by 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0

    Aug. 20, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added SSVC {'id': 'CVE-2026-12634', 'role': 'CISA Coordinator', 'options': [{'exploitation': 'none'}, {'automatable': 'no'}, {'technicalImpact': 'partial'}], 'version': '2.0.3', 'timestamp': '2026-08-20T15:15:52.116171Z'}
  • New CVE Received by [email protected]

    Aug. 19, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Affected [{'vendor': 'zephyrproject', 'product': 'zephyr', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '2.0.0', 'lessThan': '4.5.0', 'versionType': 'semver'}], 'packageName': 'zephyr', 'programFiles': ['subsys/settings/src/settings_nvs.c'], 'collectionURL': 'https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr', 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}]
    Added Description The NVS backend of the Zephyr settings subsystem (subsys/settings/src/settings_nvs.c) reads stored setting-name entries into fixed 74-byte stack buffers and NUL-terminates them with buf[rc] = '\0', where rc is the return value of nvs_read(). Per its contract, nvs_read() returns the full stored entry length (wlk_ate.len), which can exceed the supplied buffer length — only MIN(len, stored_len) bytes are actually copied, but the return value may be much larger, bounded only by the NVS sector size. Three sites (settings_nvs_cache_match(), settings_nvs_load(), and settings_nvs_save()) used this value directly as the NUL index without clamping, so an oversized stored name entry causes a single \0 byte to be written past the end of the stack buffer at an attacker-influenced offset (CWE-787). The oversized entry cannot arise through the normal settings API, where names are bounded by SETTINGS_MAX_NAME_LEN. It requires an actor able to write the flash that backs the settings partition — a co-resident or untrusted component sharing the flash device, a malicious settings image/restore, or offline/physical flash access (a shared-flash threat model). The malformed entry is parsed when settings_load() runs at boot or subsystem init, or during settings_save(). The out-of-bounds write is a single NUL byte at an offset equal to the crafted entry length (up to the NVS sector size), so the practical impact is a crash or denial of service and limited stack corruption rather than reliable code execution. There is no confidentiality impact, and the path is not reachable from the network through the ordinary settings interface. The fix skips any entry whose nvs_read() length is greater than or equal to the buffer size before performing the NUL store.
    Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H
    Added CWE CWE-787
    Added Reference https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/commit/e79a0db70fc9ad33982f9786b428b115a78eaadd
    Added Reference https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-q7c8-m2qg-385c
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.