DoS via zip doublefree in ClamAV archive parser
CVE-2026-20338 Published on August 7, 2026

ClamAV ZIP File Format Processing Memory Corruption Vulnerability
A vulnerability in the zip archive parser of ClamAV could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a DoS condition on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper memory handling when processing content in zip files during scanning. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by submitting a crafted zip file for scanning. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the ClamAV scanning process to terminate as a result of a memory double-free, resulting in a DoS condition on the affected software.

NVD

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2026-20338 is exploitable with network access, and does not require authorization privileges or user interaction. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to have no impact on confidentiality and integrity, and a high impact on availability.

Attack Vector:
NETWORK
Attack Complexity:
LOW
Privileges Required:
NONE
User Interaction:
NONE
Scope:
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality Impact:
NONE
Integrity Impact:
NONE
Availability Impact:
HIGH

Weakness Type

What is a Double-free Vulnerability?

The product calls free() twice on the same memory address, potentially leading to modification of unexpected memory locations. When a program calls free() twice with the same argument, the program's memory management data structures become corrupted. This corruption can cause the program to crash or, in some circumstances, cause two later calls to malloc() to return the same pointer. If malloc() returns the same value twice and the program later gives the attacker control over the data that is written into this doubly-allocated memory, the program becomes vulnerable to a buffer overflow attack.

CVE-2026-20338 has been classified to as a Double-free vulnerability or weakness.


Products Associated with CVE-2026-20338

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Cisco Secure Endpoint
 

Affected Versions

Cisco Secure Endpoint: