CVE-2026-10849: Heap out-of-bounds write in Zephyr hawkBit OTA client when terminating server response body
The hawkBit device management client in subsys/mgmt/hawkbit accumulates the body of an HTTP response from the update server into a heap buffer in responsejsoncb() (subsys/mgmt/hawkbit/hawkbit.c). The buffer is sized to hold the received body bytes but reserves no space for a terminating NUL. When the full response has arrived, the code writes responsedata[downloadedsize] = '\0' — and whenever the accumulated body length equals the allocation, that terminator lands one byte past the end of the heap object (a heap-based out-of-bounds write, CWE-122 / CWE-787).
The body length and fragmentation are taken directly from the parsed HTTP response (rsp->bodyfragstart / rsp->bodyfraglen) and are fully controlled by the remote hawkBit server, which chooses its own response length. The precise trigger depends on how the buffer grows, and both forms are remotely reachable. Since v4.0.0 the reallocation is sized to exactly downloadedsize + bodylen, so any response body larger than the 1100-byte initial buffer makes the out-of-bounds write deterministic; such response sizes are normal for hawkBit deployment metadata. Before v4.0.0 the buffer grew by doubling and the growth check ((downloadedsize + bodylen) > responsebuffersize) is false at equality, so a response body whose length is exactly the current allocation — 1100 bytes with the default initial buffer — skips the reallocation entirely and writes the terminator at responsedata[1100] of an 1100-byte object. The HTTP length-mismatch check does not catch this, because the declared and received lengths genuinely agree. Either form is reachable by a malicious, compromised, or man-in-the-middle update server (TLS is optional and, when enabled, does not protect against a hostile server), with no authentication of response content and no client-side length cap protecting the write.
The out-of-bounds write is a fixed single NUL byte immediately following the allocation, corrupting adjacent allocator metadata or the next allocation. The practical impact is heap corruption leading to denial of service (fault on a subsequent allocation or free), with the bounded, allocator-dependent possibility of further corruption. The fix sizes the buffer to the body length plus one and copies with memcpy, ensuring the terminator always lands within the allocation.
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2026-10849?
CVE-2026-10849 has a severity rating of 8.2, which is classified as high.
What is CVE-2026-10849 about?
CVE-2026-10849 describes a heap out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the Zephyr hawkBit OTA client due to improper handling of HTTP response body termination.
How do I fix CVE-2026-10849?
To fix CVE-2026-10849, update the Zephyr hawkBit OTA client to incorporate a patch that ensures proper memory allocation for terminating the HTTP response body.
What are the potential impacts of CVE-2026-10849?
CVE-2026-10849 may lead to buffer overflow, which can potentially allow an attacker to crash the application or execute arbitrary code.
Which software is affected by CVE-2026-10849?
CVE-2026-10849 affects the Zephyr hawkBit OTA client.