---
id: CVE-2026-41992
title: >-
  GNU gzip contains a global buffer overflow vulnerability in the LZH
  decompression logic caused by improper reuse of shared global state between
  different decompression formats within a single execution
summary: >-
  GNU gzip contains a global buffer overflow vulnerability in the LZH
  decompression logic caused by improper reuse of shared global state between
  different decompression formats within a single execution. GNU gzip maintains
  a global array …
severity: high
cvss: 7.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N'
cwe:
  - CWE-126
  - CWE-125
vendor: gnu
product: gzip
affected:
  - gzip <= 1.14
published: '2026-06-29'
updated: '2026-08-23'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41992'
references:
  - url: 'https://cert.pl/en/posts/2026/04/CVE-2026-41991/'
    label: cvd@cert.pl
  - url: >-
      https://cgit.git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/gzip.git/commit/?id=63dbf6b3b9e6e781df1a6a64e609b10e23969681
    label: cvd@cert.pl
  - url: 'https://www.gnu.org/software/gzip/'
    label: cvd@cert.pl
  - url: 'http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/23/1'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-41992.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-41992'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2494159'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-41992'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41992'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:61625'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:61623'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:61783'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:37764'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:65998'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:66018'
tags:
  - nvd
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
  - score-dispute
epss: 0.00564
epssPercentile: 0.44546
ingestedAt: '2026-08-23T20:52:34.232Z'
patched:
  - enterprise_linux_baseos_v_10
  - enterprise_linux_baseos_v_9
  - discovery 2
  - hardened_images
scores:
  nvd: 7.5
  vendor: 3.6
---

## Overview

GNU gzip contains a global buffer overflow vulnerability in the LZH decompression logic caused by improper reuse of shared global state between different decompression formats within a single execution. GNU gzip maintains a global array that is shared across the LZ77, LZW, and LZH decompression routines and is not reinitialized between files processed in the same invocation.
By decompressing a specially crafted LZW file followed by a specially crafted LZH file in a single gzip -d command, an attacker can poison the shared global state and subsequently trigger an out‑of‑bounds read in the LZH decoder. The LZH decompression logic follows stale values left in the shared array, causing reads past the end of the allocated global buffer.

This issue has been fixed in the commit 63dbf6b3b9e6e781df1a6a64e609b10e23969681

## Affected

- `gzip <= 1.14`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.

## Vendor advisories

- **RHSA-2026:61625** · Red Hat · fixed in: Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 10) · released 2026-08-31 · [advisory](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:61625)
- **RHSA-2026:61623** · Red Hat · fixed in: Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) · released 2026-08-31 · [advisory](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:61623)
- **RHSA-2026:61783** · Red Hat · fixed in: Red Hat Discovery 2 · released 2026-08-31 · [advisory](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:61783)
- **RHSA-2026:37764** · Red Hat · fixed in: Red Hat Hardened Images · released 2026-07-10 · [advisory](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:37764)
- **Red Hat VEX** · Low · affected: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4, Red Hat OpenShift Dev Spaces · no fix planned: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4, Red Hat OpenShift Dev Spaces · updated 2026-09-10 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-41992.json)
- **RHSA-2026:65998** · Red Hat · fixed in: Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8) · released 2026-09-09 · [advisory](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:65998)
- **RHSA-2026:66018** · Red Hat · fixed in: Red Hat Update Infrastructure 5 · released 2026-09-09 · [advisory](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:66018)