REDHAT-BUG-2506860: Medium severity libssh2 libssh2 vulnerability

Published Jul 24, 2026
·
Updated

libssh2 through 1.11.1, fixed in commit a13bb6c, contains a missing bounds check vulnerability that allows a malicious SSH server to trigger an arbitrary-length heap out-of-bounds read and a free of an uninitialized pointer via the publickey subsystem. In libssh2publickeylistfetch(), the version 1 response parser reads a server-controlled commentlen value and advances the parse pointer without verifying sufficient bytes remain in the buffer, causing the out-of-bounds read to leak heap pointers from adjacent allocations defeating ASLR, followed by heap allocator state corruption when the error cleanup path frees an uninitialized pointer from a non-zeroed realloc() region.

Affected Software

1 affected component
libssh2 libssh2<=1.11.1

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade libssh2 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Patch a13bb6c
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade libssh2 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 1.11.1

Event History

Jul 24, 2026
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·05:04 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What must an attacker control to trigger this issue?

The attacker must operate or control a malicious SSH server that can send a crafted version 1 publickey response. The vulnerable client must reach libssh2_publickey_list_fetch() through the publickey subsystem.

2

Which libssh2 versions are affected?

The issue affects libssh2 through version 1.11.1. The provided information identifies commit a13bb6c as the fix.

3

What is the likely impact of successful exploitation?

A crafted response can cause an arbitrary-length heap out-of-bounds read that may disclose adjacent heap pointers and weaken ASLR. The error cleanup path can also free an uninitialized pointer, potentially corrupting heap allocator state.

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