A flaw was found in the GnuTLS library, specifically in the gnutls_pkcs11_token_init() function...

Description

A flaw was found in the GnuTLS library, specifically in the gnutls_pkcs11_token_init() function that handles PKCS#11 token initialization. When a token label longer than expected is processed, the function writes past the end of a fixed-size stack buffer. This programming error can cause the application using GnuTLS to crash or, in certain conditions, be exploited for code execution. As a result, systems or applications relying on GnuTLS may be vulnerable to a denial of service or local privilege escalation attacks.

Basic information

Type
unreviewed
Severity
medium
Advisory on GitHub
Open advisory ↗
Repository advisory
Source code
Not specified
Published (advisory)
2026-01-26 21:30:36 UTC
Updated
2026-05-12 15:31:14 UTC
NVD published
2026-01-26

EPSS Score

Score Percentile
0.01% 0.92%

CVSS Scores

Base score Version Severity Vector
4.0 3.1
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:L)
They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:N)
Doesn’t really leak secrets in a meaningful way.
Integrity (I:N)
Data isn’t meaningfully altered or forged.
Availability (A:L)
Might cause slowdowns, glitches, or partial disruption—not a full brick.

Identifiers

CWEs

CWE id Name
CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow

References

cvelogic Threat Intelligence