Moderate Vulnerability in gawk Package: Memory Corruption and Buffer Overflow Issues
Summary
ALSA-2026:73512: Moderate: gawk security update. Affects gawk versions < 5.1.0-6.el9_8.1. Fixed in 5.1.0-6.el9_8.1. How to fix ↓
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Background
The gawk package is the GNU implementation of awk, a powerful text processing utility that interprets a specialized programming language for text pattern matching and reformatting tasks. It is widely used for data extraction and reporting. However, recent vulnerabilities have been identified that could compromise the integrity and security of systems utilizing this package.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerabilities in the gawk package include a memory corruption issue due to an integer overflow (CVE-2026-40468), a buffer overflow in the ftype() routine that may lead to code execution or denial of service (CVE-2026-40553), and a denial of service caused by a use-after-free vulnerability in io.c (CVE-2026-40467). These vulnerabilities can be exploited by attackers to execute arbitrary code or crash the application, posing a significant risk to system stability and security.
How To Fix
Minimum fixed version
5.1.0-6.el9_8.1
This is the first release that contains the fix.
sudo dnf update gawkTip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary workaround, users can limit the use of gawk in critical applications until the package is updated. Additionally, consider using alternative text processing tools that do not exhibit these vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The gawk package has been identified with several vulnerabilities that could potentially compromise system security. It is crucial for users to update to the latest patched version to mitigate these risks. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help monitor and alert for such vulnerabilities in real-time.
See every vulnerability recorded for gawk →
FAQ
Gawk is the GNU implementation of the awk programming language, used for pattern scanning and processing.
The main vulnerabilities include memory corruption, buffer overflow, and denial of service issues.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
If an immediate update is not possible, consider limiting the use of gawk in critical applications as a temporary measure.
For more details, refer to the CVE pages listed in the related section of the vulnerability report.
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for gawk.
