Description
GNU Aspell prezip-bin contains a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the decompressor in prog/prezip.c. The decompressor does not properly check buffer space, so a crafted compressed file can cause out-of-bounds read and write operations on the heap. An attacker who convinces a user to process a malicious compressed file with prezip-bin can trigger memory corruption, leading to a processs crash.



This issue was fixed in commit 15b188437f9e0192d4ac4472ad66a4e2f62a782f which will be released in version 0.60.8.3.
Published: 2026-10-06
Score: 1.8 Low
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: Denial of Service
Action: Patch Now
AI Analysis

Impact

The prezip utility in GNU Aspell contains a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in its decompression routine. When a crafted compressed file is processed, the decompressor fails to enforce buffer boundaries, causing out-of-bounds read and write operations on the heap. This memory corruption leads to a process crash, impacting availability.

Affected Systems

Any installation of the Aspell prezip-bin command that predates the 0.60.8.3 release is vulnerable. The affected product is GNU Aspell, a widely used spell‑checker, and the fix is available in commit 15b188437f9e0192d4ac4472ad66a4e2f62a782f. Updating to version 0.60.8.3 or later removes the flaw.

Risk and Exploitability

The CVSS score of 1.8 reflects a low severity, and the exploitability is limited to users who can supply a malicious compressed file to prezip. The EPSS score is not available, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog, indicating low current exploitation activity. Nonetheless, any affected system that processes untrusted compressed files may experience a denial of service.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on October 7, 2026 at 03:14 UTC.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Apply the official upstream patch by upgrading to Aspell 0.60.8.3 or newer.
  • If an upgrade is not immediately possible, restrict or remove use of the prezip utility on systems that handle untrusted input.
  • Monitor application logs for unexpected crashes or heap corruption events that could indicate exploitation attempts.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on October 7, 2026 at 03:14 UTC.

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories yet.

History

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-787
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

 cvssV3_1

{'score': 3.3, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L'}

threat_severity

Low

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 13:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description GNU Aspell prezip-bin contains a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the decompressor in prog/prezip.c. The decompressor does not properly check buffer space, so a crafted compressed file can cause out-of-bounds read and write operations on the heap. An attacker who convinces a user to process a malicious compressed file with prezip-bin can trigger memory corruption, leading to a processs crash. This issue was fixed in commit 15b188437f9e0192d4ac4472ad66a4e2f62a782f which will be released in version 0.60.8.3.
Title Heap Buffer Overflow in GNU Aspell's prezip utility
First Time appeared Gnu
Gnu aspell
Weaknesses CWE-122
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:gnu:aspell:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Gnu
Gnu aspell
References
Metrics cvssV4_0

{'score': 1.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N'}

Subscriptions

Gnu Aspell
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: CERT-PL

Published:

Updated: 2026-10-06T12:50:58.338Z

Reserved: 2026-08-18T10:13:29.246Z

Link: CVE-2026-75818

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2026-10-06T12:50:43.403Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Deferred

Published: 2026-10-06T11:17:29.730

Modified: 2026-10-06T15:03:59.427

Link: CVE-2026-75818

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Low

Publid Date: 2026-10-06T10:57:52Z

Links: CVE-2026-75818 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-10-07T07:15:07Z

Weaknesses