llama.cpp: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
CVE-2026-43632 is a high-severity time-of-check time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition vulnerability in llama.cpp from Ggml-org, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.1 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected llama.cpp versions: b7492 through b9060. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.48% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of llama.cpp you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- HighSuccess depends on conditions outside the attacker's control.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (vulncheck.com).
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | 9.2 | Critical | CNA (vulncheck.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 8.1 | High | CNA (vulncheck.com) |
Official description
llama.cpp builds b7492 through the latest b9060 contains a use-after-free vulnerability in llama-server affecting six tokenization endpoints (/tokenize, /detokenize, /infill, /apply-template, /rerank, and /anthropic/count_tokens) that bypass the task queue and access ctx_server.vocab directly on HTTP worker threads. Attackers can exploit a time-of-check-time-of-use race condition where the main thread destroys and frees vocab after the synchronization lock is released but before the handler finishes using it, causing a crash or potential code execution when --sleep-idle-seconds is configured.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
The product checks the state of a resource before using that resource, but the resource's state can change between the check and the use in a way that invalidates the results of the check.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- The most basic advice for TOCTOU vulnerabilities is to not perform a check before the use. This does not resolve the underlying issue of the execution of a function on a resource whose state and identity cannot be assured, but it does help to limit the false sense of security given by the check.
- When the file being altered is owned by the current user and group, set the effective gid and uid to that of the current user and group when executing this statement.
- Limit the interleaving of operations on files from multiple processes.
More Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition vulnerabilities (CWE-367)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
- github.com/Vladimir-tokarev-cyera/llama-cpp-security-patchesThird Party Advisory
- vulncheck.com/advisories/llama-cpp-b7492-b9060-use-after-free-in-tokenization-endpointsThird Party Advisory
Other vulnerabilities in llama.cpp
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.2 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 7.3 High severity
Recent Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition vulnerabilities
- 8.1 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.5 High severity
- 8.9 High severity
- 7.4 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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