jq libjq buffer overflow in jv_parse_sized() (CVE-2026-39979)
CVE-2026-39979 Published on April 13, 2026

jq: Out-of-Bounds Read in jv_parse_sized() Error Formatting for Non-NUL-Terminated Counted Buffers
jq is a command-line JSON processor. In commits before 2f09060afab23fe9390cce7cb860b10416e1bf5f, the jv_parse_sized() API in libjq accepts a counted buffer with an explicit length parameter, but its error-handling path formats the input buffer using %s in jv_string_fmt(), which reads until a NUL terminator is found rather than respecting the caller-supplied length. This means that when malformed JSON is passed in a non-NUL-terminated buffer, the error construction logic performs an out-of-bounds read past the end of the buffer. The vulnerability is reachable by any libjq consumer calling jv_parse_sized() with untrusted input, and depending on memory layout, can result in memory disclosure or process termination. The issue has been patched in commit 2f09060afab23fe9390cce7cb860b10416e1bf5f.

NVD

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2026-39979 can be exploited with network access, and does not require authorization privileges or user interaction. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. An automatable proof of concept (POC) exploit exists. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to have a small impact on confidentiality, a small impact on integrity, and a high impact on availability.

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

Weakness Type

Out-of-bounds Read

The software reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer. Typically, this can allow attackers to read sensitive information from other memory locations or cause a crash. A crash can occur when the code reads a variable amount of data and assumes that a sentinel exists to stop the read operation, such as a NUL in a string. The expected sentinel might not be located in the out-of-bounds memory, causing excessive data to be read, leading to a segmentation fault or a buffer overflow. The software may modify an index or perform pointer arithmetic that references a memory location that is outside of the boundaries of the buffer. A subsequent read operation then produces undefined or unexpected results.


Products Associated with CVE-2026-39979

You can be notified by email with stack.watch whenever vulnerabilities like CVE-2026-39979 are published in these products:

Jqlang Jq
 
Canonical Ubuntu Linux
 
Red Hat Openshift
 
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
 
Red Hat Rhel Aus
 
Red Hat Rhel Eus Long Life
 
Red Hat Rhel E4s
 
Red Hat Rhel Tus
 
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Eus
 
Red Hat Rhel Eus
 
Red Hat Ai Inference Server
 
Red Hat Hummingbird
 
Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform
 
Red Hat Ceph Storage
 

Affected Versions

jqlang jq: Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.12: Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.13: Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.14: Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.15: Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.16: Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.18: Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.19: Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 8): Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream AUS (v.8.4): Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS EXTENSION (v.8.4): Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream AUS (v.8.6): Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream E4S (v.8.6): Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream TUS (v.8.6): Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream E4S (v.8.8): Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream TUS (v.8.8): Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream E4S (v.9.0): Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream E4S (v.9.2): Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS (v. 10.0): Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 10): Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS (v.9.4): Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS (v.9.6): Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9): Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder EUS (v. 10.0): Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10): Red Hat Enterprise Linux CRB (v. 8): Red Hat CodeReady Linux Builder EUS (v.9.4): Red Hat CodeReady Linux Builder EUS (v.9.6): Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9): Red Hat AI Inference Server 3.2: Red Hat AI Inference Server 3.3: Red Hat Hardened Images: Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2: Red Hat Ceph Storage 4:

Exploit Probability

EPSS
0.31%
Percentile
22.97%

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) scores estimate the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. The percentile shows you how this score compares to all other vulnerabilities.