Libevent <=2.1.12, <=2.2.1-alpha Integer Conversion DoS in event_tagging.c
CVE-2026-63384 Published on August 20, 2026
Libevent: `evtag_unmarshal_header()` decodes a wire `uint32` length into a signed `int` return value.
Libevent is an event notification library. Prior to 2.1.13 and 2.2.2-alpha, libevent has an incorrect integer conversion in event_tagging.c when evtag_unmarshal_header uses evtag_decode_int to decode an attacker-controlled uint32 payload length and returns it as a signed int. Values above INT_MAX become negative or truncated, and evtag_unmarshal_string can use the converted value in allocation sizing, producing a wrapped large allocation request and denial of service. This issue is fixed in versions 2.1.13 and 2.2.2-alpha.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2026-63384 is exploitable 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 no impact on confidentiality and integrity and availability.
Weakness Type
Integer Overflow or Wraparound
The software performs a calculation that can produce an integer overflow or wraparound, when the logic assumes that the resulting value will always be larger than the original value. This can introduce other weaknesses when the calculation is used for resource management or execution control. An integer overflow or wraparound occurs when an integer value is incremented to a value that is too large to store in the associated representation. When this occurs, the value may wrap to become a very small or negative number. While this may be intended behavior in circumstances that rely on wrapping, it can have security consequences if the wrap is unexpected. This is especially the case if the integer overflow can be triggered using user-supplied inputs. This becomes security-critical when the result is used to control looping, make a security decision, or determine the offset or size in behaviors such as memory allocation, copying, concatenation, etc.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-63384
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Affected Versions
libevent:- Version >= 2.2.0-alpha, < 2.2.2-alpha is affected.
- Version < 2.1.13 is affected.