CVE-2026-38753
BusyBox awk_sub Use-After-Free Vulnerability
Description
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.
INFO
Published Date :
July 15, 2026, 9:16 p.m.
Last Modified :
July 20, 2026, 4:16 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 | |||||
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 | ||||
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update Busybox to a patched version.
- Apply vendor security patches.
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-2026-38753.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://busybox.net | |
| https://lists.busybox.net/pipermail/busybox/2026-June/092352.html | Mailing List Patch Vendor Advisory |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-38753 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-2026-38753
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-2026-38753 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-38753 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 [email protected]
Jul. 20, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Reference https://busybox.net Removed Reference http://busybox.com Removed Reference Type http://busybox.com Types: Product -
CVE Modified by [email protected]
Jul. 20, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L Added CWE CWE-416 Changed Affected [{'vendor': 'n/a', 'product': 'n/a', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': 'n/a'}]}] [{'vendor': 'BusyBox', 'product': 'BusyBox', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '1.00', 'versionType': 'custom', 'lessThanOrEqual': '1.38.0'}], 'defaultStatus': 'unknown'}] -
Initial Analysis by [email protected]
Jul. 16, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added CPE Configuration OR *cpe:2.3:a:busybox:busybox:1.38.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Added Reference Type MITRE: http://busybox.com Types: Product Added Reference Type MITRE: https://lists.busybox.net/pipermail/busybox/2026-June/092352.html Types: Mailing List, Patch, Vendor Advisory -
CVE Modified by 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
Jul. 16, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H Added CWE CWE-416 Added SSVC {'id': 'CVE-2026-38753', 'role': 'CISA Coordinator', 'options': [{'exploitation': 'none'}, {'automatable': 'yes'}, {'technicalImpact': 'partial'}], 'version': '2.0.3', 'timestamp': '2026-07-16T15:22:18.819592Z'} -
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Jul. 15, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Affected [{'vendor': 'n/a', 'product': 'n/a', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': 'n/a'}]}] Added Description 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. Added Reference http://busybox.com Added Reference https://lists.busybox.net/pipermail/busybox/2026-June/092352.html