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CVE Record

CVE-2026-22184: zlib <= 1.3.1.2 untgz Global Buffer Overflow in TGZfname()

zlib versions up to and including 1.3.1.2 include a global buffer overflow in the untgz utility located under contrib/untgz. The vulnerability is limited to the standalone demonstration utility and does not affect the core zlib compression library. The flaw occurs when a user executes the untgz command with an excessively long archive name supplied via the command line, leading to an out-of-bounds write in a fixed-size global buffer.

HighCVSS 8.6Not KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysishigh

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2026-22184 is a buffer overflow in zlib’s standalone contrib/untgz demonstration utility, not the core zlib compression library. Business risk depends on whether that demo command is shipped or used in your environment. The source bundle does not show active exploitation or a named vendor patch.

Executive priority

Treat this as high priority for environments that ship or automate the untgz utility, but not as a broad zlib-library emergency. The immediate business task is exposure confirmation, because the core compression library is described as unaffected.

Technical view

The flaw is an out-of-bounds write in TGZfname(), triggered by an excessively long archive name passed to the untgz command line. Sources classify it as CWE-120 and CWE-787 with CVSS 3.1 score 8.6. Evidence says normal zlib library use is unaffected; exposure is limited to the standalone untgz utility.

Likely exposure

Exposure is likely narrow: systems packaging, distributing, or invoking contrib/untgz from zlib up to and including 1.3.1.2. Applications merely linking against core zlib compression functions are described as unaffected in the source bundle.

Exploitation context

Public technical details and an exploit-tagged Full Disclosure reference exist, but the bundle marks KEV false and provides no cited evidence of active exploitation. The CVSS vector and command-line trigger description appear somewhat inconsistent, so validate against vendor and distro advisories.

Researcher notes

Key uncertainty is scope. The bundle says zlib up to 1.3.1.2 includes vulnerable contrib/untgz, while affected metadata shows defaultStatus unaffected. Avoid extrapolating to all zlib consumers; focus validation on the standalone demo utility and downstream packaging decisions.

Mitigation direction

  • Inventory whether contrib/untgz is built, shipped, or callable in your environment.
  • Check zlib and operating-system vendor guidance for an official fix or package status.
  • Remove or disable the standalone untgz utility where it is not required.
  • Restrict who can execute untgz until vendor guidance is confirmed.
  • Prioritize remediation for systems where untgz handles untrusted filenames or archives.

Validation and detection

  • Search packages, build artifacts, and containers for the standalone untgz binary.
  • Confirm whether applications use core zlib only or invoke contrib/untgz directly.
  • Review distribution advisories, especially Red Hat status pages, for affected package decisions.
  • Check logs and job definitions for untgz execution on untrusted archive names.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
10

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

cwe · low confidence lookup

CWE-120: Exact CWE lookup

Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.

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cwe · low confidence lookup

CWE-787: Exact CWE lookup

Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.

Open ATT&CK lookup
cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2026-22184 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
High
CVSS
8.6 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

2CVSS vectors
5Timeline events
3ADP providers
9Source links

SSVC decision data

CISA-ADPCISA Coordinator
Timestamp
Version
2.0.3
Exploitation: pocAutomatable: yesTechnical Impact: total

CVSS vector scores

2 official scores

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
8.6CVSS 3.1HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H3.94.7redhat-SADP
4.6CVSS 4.0MediumCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:L/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N——VulnCheck

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 4.0 score

4.6Medium
CVSS 4.0 vector shape for CVE-2026-22184Attack VectorAttack ComplexityAttack RequirementsPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionVS ConfidentialityVS IntegrityVS AvailabilitySS ConfidentialitySS IntegritySS Availability

Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:L/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Attack Requirements
NonePresent
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NonePassiveActive
VS Confidentiality
HighLowNone
VS Integrity
HighLowNone
VS Availability
HighLowNone
SS Confidentiality
HighLowNone
SS Integrity
HighLowNone
SS Availability
HighLowNone

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. ADP timelineredhat-SADP

    Made public.

  3. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  4. ADP timelineredhat-SADP

    Reported to Red Hat.

  5. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

ADP provider summaries

CISA-ADPCISA ADP Vulnrichment
other:ssvc
CVECVE Program Container
redhat-SADPzlib: zlib: Arbitrary code execution via buffer overflow in untgz utility
other:Red Hat severity ratingcvssV3_1
  • 2026-01-07T21:02:32.602Z: Reported to Red Hat.
  • 2026-01-07T20:25:19.892Z: Made public.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
zlib softwarezlib0unaffected
Weakness

CWE details

CWE-120CWE-787

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.