CVE-2026-7838: UltraVNC viewer heap buffer overflow via integer overflow in RFB connection-failure reason length

Published Jul 1, 2026
·
Updated

UltraVNC viewer through 1.8.2.2 contains an integer overflow leading to a heap buffer overflow in the RFB protocol failure-response parsing path. In vncviewer/ClientConnection.cpp, the 4-byte network-supplied reasonLen field (type CARD32) is passed as reasonLen+1 to CheckBufferSize(). Because both operands are unsigned 32-bit, a reasonLen of 0xFFFFFFFF overflows to 0, causing CheckBufferSize to allocate only 256 bytes. The subsequent ReadString(mnetbuf, reasonLen) call then performs ReadExact for the original 4 GiB length into that 256-byte heap buffer. This overflow is reachable via rfbConnFailed (auth-scheme negotiation) and rfbVncAuthFailed (post-handshake) message types without successful authentication. A malicious VNC server, or any man-in-the-middle on the RFB stream, can trigger this condition when the victim viewer connects, potentially resulting in remote code execution as the user running the viewer. The crash was confirmed with AddressSanitizer on a portable reproduction harness (heap-buffer-overflow WRITE at offset 256).

Affected Software

2 affected components
UltraVNC UltraVNC Viewer<=1.8.2.2
Uvnc Ultravnc<=1.8.2.2

Event History

Jul 1, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·03:33 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·03:33 AM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·05:16 AM
DescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Free Weekly Intel

Don't miss critical vulnerabilities

Join thousands of security professionals who receive our weekly digest of trending CVEs, zero-days, and exploited vulnerabilities.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-7838?

The severity of CVE-2026-7838 is high with a score of 8.8.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-7838?

To fix CVE-2026-7838, update UltraVNC Viewer to version 1.8.2.3 or later.

3

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2026-7838?

CVE-2026-7838 is a heap buffer overflow vulnerability caused by an integer overflow.

4

What software is affected by CVE-2026-7838?

CVE-2026-7838 affects UltraVNC Viewer version 1.8.2.2.

5

What are the potential impacts of CVE-2026-7838?

The potential impacts of CVE-2026-7838 include unauthorized access and execution of malicious code due to the buffer overflow.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203