CVE-2026-41964: rizin DoS via Uninitialized Variable
CVE-2026-41964 is a high-severity rizin vulnerability affecting versions 0.8.0 through 0.8.2. The issue is a denial of service condition caused by an uninitialized variable during parsing of a crafted binary file. If your environment uses rizin to inspect untrusted samples, this bug can crash the application and interrupt analysis workflows. For broader hardening guidance, see our related resources on vulnerability management best practices and linux log analysis for security teams.
Vulnerability at a Glance
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| CVE ID | CVE-2026-41964 |
| Product | rizin |
| Affected versions | 0.8.0, 0.8.1, 0.8.2 |
| Severity | High |
| CVSS score | 7.5 (CVSS v3.1) |
| Attack vector | Network (AV:N) |
| Privileges required | None (PR:N) |
| User interaction | None (UI:N) |
| Impact | Denial of service / application crash |
| Root cause | CWE-457: Use of Uninitialized Variable |
| Patch status | Upstream fix commit available; first fixed packaged release not independently verified |
This is a parser-side availability issue. It matters most in environments where rizin processes binaries from outside sources, such as malware analysis pipelines, reverse-engineering labs, CI jobs, upload-driven triage systems, or shared research infrastructure.
What Is CVE-2026-41964?
CVE-2026-41964 is a denial-of-service vulnerability in rizin caused by use of an uninitialized variable, mapped to CWE-457. The available source material states that rizin v0.8.0 through v0.8.2 can be crashed by a crafted binary file.
In practical terms, this means an attacker-controlled or malformed binary may trigger unstable behavior during parsing or analysis. Based on the available evidence, the verified outcome is application crash and loss of availability. There is no source-backed basis here to claim code execution, confidentiality loss, or integrity impact.
The CVSS vector includes AV:N, but defenders should interpret that carefully. It does not necessarily mean rizin is exposed as a public network service by default. It means the vulnerable condition can be reached in a network-relevant workflow, such as when binaries are submitted remotely, pulled from shared repositories, or ingested through automated systems.
Who Is Affected?
The affected software is:
- Vendor/Project: rizinorg
- Product: rizin
- Affected versions:
0.8.0through0.8.2
That includes:
0.8.00.8.10.8.2
If any of those versions are deployed in your environment, treat them as vulnerable unless you have direct evidence that a downstream maintainer backported the fix. That distinction matters for Linux packages, internal mirrors, source-based builds, and container images where version strings do not always reflect patch state.
Risk is highest for teams that inspect untrusted binaries regularly, including:
- Malware analysts
- Incident response teams
- Reverse-engineering teams
- Product security groups
- CI or supply-chain validation pipelines
- Shared sandbox or triage environments
CVSS Score Breakdown
The published severity is:
- Base score:
7.5(High) - Vector:
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
| Metric | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Attack Vector | AV:N |
Reachable through network-relevant workflows |
| Attack Complexity | AC:L |
Low-complexity conditions |
| Privileges Required | PR:N |
No privileges needed |
| User Interaction | UI:N |
No separate user action required |
| Scope | S:U |
Impact stays within the vulnerable component |
| Confidentiality | C:N |
No verified data exposure |
| Integrity | I:N |
No verified data tampering |
| Availability | A:H |
High availability impact due to crash |
Even without code execution, a 7.5 score is meaningful. Repeated crashes in a parser can break automation, delay investigations, and reduce analyst productivity. In shared or production-adjacent analysis systems, availability loss can quickly become an operational issue.
Technical Cause
The vulnerability is associated with CWE-457: Use of Uninitialized Variable. In software like rizin, parsing logic often depends on structured input fields and state tracking across code paths. If a variable is used before being initialized, crafted input may drive the parser into an unsafe state and trigger abnormal termination.
For this CVE, the publicly supported description ties the issue specifically to processing a crafted binary file. The strongest source-backed claim is that this leads to denial of service, not broader compromise.
Exploitation Status
Based on the retrieved source material:
- Public PoC: not verified
- Active exploitation in the wild: not verified
That does not prove no exploit exists. It only means the supplied evidence does not support claiming a public proof-of-concept or observed in-the-wild exploitation. Security teams should avoid overstating exploit maturity while still treating the issue seriously.
A low-complexity parser bug in a tool that handles attacker-controlled files is still worth patching promptly, especially where analysis jobs are automated or exposed to external submissions.
Bottom Line
If you run rizin 0.8.0, 0.8.1, or 0.8.2, assume you are affected by CVE-2026-41964 until you verify otherwise. The impact is a denial of service condition caused by an uninitialized variable during binary parsing. Prioritize patch validation, especially in environments that inspect untrusted binaries at scale.
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How to Detect Exposure
Start with asset and version inventory. Identify systems, containers, build runners, and workstations that include rizin, then verify whether they run:
0.8.00.8.10.8.2
If your environment uses downstream packaging or custom builds, confirm whether upstream fix commit 4819727ec834c1f4132ffec9f0353f3d9f24f14c is present before assuming you are protected.
Next, review telemetry for crash-related signals tied to rizin execution.
Crash Indicators to Watch
| Detection type | Example |
|---|---|
| Process crash | segfault, core dumped, abnormal non-zero exit |
| Journal entries | journalctl -xe | grep -Ei 'rizin|segfault|core dumped' |
| Core dump records | coredumpctl list | grep -i rizin |
| Workflow failures | Repeated job failures on the same binary sample |
A generic log query for centralized monitoring may look like this:
(program:rizin OR process.name:rizin OR message:*rizin*)
AND (message:*segfault* OR message:*core dumped* OR event.action:crash OR process.exit_code:*)
Because public material does not define a vendor-specific detection signature, defenders should correlate crashes with the input file being analyzed and preserve suspicious samples for offline validation.
Validate Fix Presence in Source
If you maintain source-based builds or internal forks, check whether the known fix commit exists:
git log --oneline --decorate --all | grep 4819727ec834c1f4132ffec9f0353f3d9f24f14c
You can also inspect the commit directly:
git show 4819727ec834c1f4132ffec9f0353f3d9f24f14c
Mitigation and Patching
The primary mitigation is to upgrade to a rizin release that includes upstream fix commit 4819727ec834c1f4132ffec9f0353f3d9f24f14c.
An important limitation remains: the first fixed packaged release has not been independently verified from the supplied source set. Because of that, defenders should confirm remediation through one of the following:
- project release notes
- downstream package advisories
- source tree verification for the fix commit
- distribution patch metadata or changelogs
If you build from source, move away from affected versions and deploy a revision containing the fix commit. If you use distribution packages, verify backports before closing the issue.
Temporary Workarounds
If immediate patching is not possible:
- Avoid analyzing untrusted binaries with affected versions
- Isolate rizin in containers or disposable VMs
- Restrict file submission paths
- Apply execution timeouts and restart policies
- Separate analysis workers from critical shared infrastructure
A simple operational safeguard for ad hoc analysis is:
timeout 30s rizin /path/to/suspect.bin
This does not remove the vulnerability, but it can reduce disruption from stuck or crashing tasks while patching is underway.
Reader-Useful Security Tools
If your workflow involves analyzing untrusted files, complementary defensive tools may help reduce surrounding risk:
- A VPN such as NordVPN or Surfshark can help secure analyst traffic on untrusted networks.
- Endpoint scanning with Malwarebytes can add another layer on analysis workstations.
- Credential protection with 1Password is useful for teams managing privileged access to analysis infrastructure.
These do not fix CVE-2026-41964 directly, but they may support safer security operations around vulnerable tooling.
References
| Reference | URL |
|---|---|
| Issue / advisory reference | https://github.com/rizinorg/rizin/issues/4301 |
| Fix commit | https://github.com/rizinorg/rizin/commit/4819727ec834c1f4132ffec9f0353f3d9f24f14c |
| CWE reference | CWE-457 — Use of Uninitialized Variable |
The key source-backed statement is that rizin 0.8.0 through 0.8.2 can be crashed by a crafted binary file due to an uninitialized variable. That is enough to justify patching, validating build provenance, and isolating high-risk workflows.