tesseract: Out-of-bounds Read
CVE-2026-88048 is a high-severity out-of-bounds read vulnerability in tesseract from Tesseract-ocr, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. Affected tesseract versions: <= 5.5.3. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.17% 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 tesseract 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.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesseract-ocr | tesseract | <= 5.5.3 | Not stated |
| Tesseract-ocr | Tesseract Ocr | 5.5.3 and earlier | 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
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- 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
- NoneNothing can be modified.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | 8.6 | High | CNA (github.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.1 | High | NVD |
Official description
Tesseract is an open source OCR engine. In version 5.5.3 and earlier, FullyConnected::DeSerialize in src/lstm/fullyconnected.cpp does not validate the deserialized layer scalars ni_ and no_ against the weight-matrix dimensions. During FullyConnected::Forward, MatrixDotVector in src/lstm/weightmatrix.cpp writes w.dim1() results into temp_line, which is sized from no_, and reads w.dim2() minus one inputs from curr_input, which is sized from ni_. A crafted .traineddata NT_SOFTMAX layer can therefore use inconsistent dimensions to cause a heap out-of-bounds write and read on the default LSTM engine, resulting in heap corruption, a crash, information disclosure, or potentially controlled corruption. No fixed release is available as of this review.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Out-of-bounds Read
The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use a language that provides appropriate memory abstractions.
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 tesseract
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
Recent Out-of-bounds Read vulnerabilities
- 8.2 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.2 High severity
- 9.6 Critical severity
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