6.8
MEDIUM CVSS 4.0
CVE-2026-22214
RIOT OS <= 2026.01-devel-317 Stack-Based Buffer Overflow in ethos Serial Frame Parser
Description

RIOT OS versions up to and including 2026.01-devel-317 contain a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the ethos utility due to missing bounds checking when processing incoming serial frame data. The vulnerability occurs in the _handle_char() function, where incoming frame bytes are appended to a fixed-size stack buffer without verifying that the current write index remains within bounds. An attacker capable of sending crafted serial or TCP-framed input can cause the current write index to exceed the buffer size, resulting in a write past the end of the stack buffer. This condition leads to memory corruption and application crash.

INFO

Published Date :

Jan. 12, 2026, 11:15 p.m.

Last Modified :

Jan. 12, 2026, 11:15 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

Yes !
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-22214 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.

No affected product recoded yet

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 4.0 MEDIUM 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10
CVSS 4.0 MEDIUM [email protected]
Solution
Update RIOT OS to patch a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the ethos utility.
  • Update RIOT OS to a version later than 2026.01-devel-317.
  • Apply security patches for the ethos utility.
  • Ensure proper bounds checking in serial frame processing.
  • Review and sanitize all incoming serial data.
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-2026-22214.

URL Resource
https://github.com/RIOT-OS/RIOT
https://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2026/Jan/16
https://www.riot-os.org/
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/riot-os-stack-based-buffer-overflow-in-ethos-serial-frame-parser
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-22214 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-2026-22214 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-2026-22214 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2026-22214 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]

    Jan. 12, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Description RIOT OS versions up to and including 2026.01-devel-317 contain a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the ethos utility due to missing bounds checking when processing incoming serial frame data. The vulnerability occurs in the _handle_char() function, where incoming frame bytes are appended to a fixed-size stack buffer without verifying that the current write index remains within bounds. An attacker capable of sending crafted serial or TCP-framed input can cause the current write index to exceed the buffer size, resulting in a write past the end of the stack buffer. This condition leads to memory corruption and application crash.
    Added CVSS V4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:A/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
    Added CWE CWE-121
    Added Reference https://github.com/RIOT-OS/RIOT
    Added Reference https://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2026/Jan/16
    Added Reference https://www.riot-os.org/
    Added Reference https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/riot-os-stack-based-buffer-overflow-in-ethos-serial-frame-parser
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.
Vulnerability Scoring Details
Base CVSS Score: 6.8
Attack Vector
Attack Complexity
Attack Requirements
Privileges Required
User Interaction
VS Confidentiality
VS Integrity
VS Availability
SS Confidentiality
SS Integrity
SS Availability