CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-49841NVD status: Analyzed

freeswitch: Heap-based Buffer Overflow

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2026-49841 is a critical-severity heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in freeswitch from Signalwire, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected freeswitch versions: < 1.11.1. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.39% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Patch this week

Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.

What to do

  1. Check which version of freeswitch you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
  2. Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
  3. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Signalwirefreeswitch< 1.11.1Not stated

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
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
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:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (github.com).

Official description

FreeSWITCH is a Software Defined Telecom Stack enabling the digital transformation from proprietary telecom switches to a software implementation that runs on any commodity hardware. Prior to version 1.11.1, the mod_verto HTTP request handler allocates a fixed 2 MiB buffer for a POST application/x-www-form-urlencoded body but accepts Content-Length up to just under 10 MiB. The body-read loop is bounded by Content-Length rather than the buffer size, producing an attacker-controlled heap overflow of up to ~8 MiB -- before the HTTP basic-auth check runs. This issue has been patched in version 1.11.1.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Heap-based Buffer Overflow

The product writes past the end of a buffer that was allocated on the heap.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Pre-design: Use a language or compiler that performs automatic bounds checking.
  • Use an abstraction library to abstract away risky APIs. Not a complete solution.
  • Use automatic buffer overflow detection mechanisms that are offered by certain compilers or compiler extensions. Examples include: the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag, Fedora/Red Hat FORTIFY_SOURCE GCC flag, StackGuard, and ProPolice, which provide various mechanisms including canary-based detection and range/index checking. D3-SFCV (Stack Frame Canary Validation) from D3FEND discusses canary-based detection in detail.

More Heap-based Buffer Overflow vulnerabilities (CWE-122)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Patches and release notes

Other vulnerabilities in freeswitch

All freeswitch vulnerabilities

Recent Heap-based Buffer Overflow vulnerabilities

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