fluent-bit: Stack-based Buffer Overflow
CVE-2026-61674 is a critical-severity stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in fluent-bit from Fluent, with a CVSS 4.0 base score of 9.2 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected fluent-bit versions: >= 0.11.0, < 5.0.8. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.72% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 54% of scored CVEs.
Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.
What to do
- Check which version of fluent-bit you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fluent | fluent-bit | >= 0.11.0, < 5.0.8 | Not 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.
- Attack requirements
- PresentThe target must be in a specific state or configuration for the attack to work.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of confidentiality on the vulnerable system.
- Integrity (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of integrity on the vulnerable system.
- Availability (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of availability on the vulnerable system.
- Confidentiality (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of confidentiality on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Integrity (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of integrity on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Availability (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of availability on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X. Scored by CNA (github.com).
Official description
Fluent Bit is a fast and lightweight logs, metrics, and traces processor for Linux, BSD, macOS, and Windows. From 0.11.0 until 5.0.8, plugins/out_forward/forward.c secure_forward_pong copies the server-controlled PONG[2] reason into the 32-byte stack buffer msg with memcpy without checking its MessagePack type or length. An attacker who controls or can impersonate an out_forward Secure Forward destination configured with Shared_Key or Empty_Shared_Key can send an oversized reason during the first handshake and overwrite stack control data. Protected builds reliably terminate, while builds without a stack canary or with a disclosure can allow remote code execution as the Fluent Bit process user. When the opt-in --supervisor mode is used, fork-only respawns preserve the canary and address layout, allowing repeated crash-or-survive probes to support code execution on a hardened build; ordinary exec-based or service-manager restarts do not preserve that state. This issue is fixed in version 5.0.8.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Stack-based Buffer Overflow
The product writes past the end of a buffer that was allocated on the stack.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- 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.
- Use an abstraction library to abstract away risky APIs. Not a complete solution.
- Implement and perform bounds checking on input.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Other vulnerabilities in fluent-bit
- 7.5 High severity
Recent Stack-based Buffer Overflow vulnerabilities
- 8.1 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.6 Critical severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.2 High severity
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