Unintended file moves via freed path buffer
Published Jan 1, 2026 · Updated Jan 1, 2026
Use-after-free in fs/vfs/fs_rename in Apache NuttX RTOS 7.20 through 12.10.x allows attackers with VFS write access to misdirect moves. The recursive directory-move logic reuses one heap buffer through two pointers; resizing it frees the allocation before another pointer writes the destination path. Reachability requires attacker-controlled rename or move requests through a write-enabled VFS service such as FTP, and successful exploitation can relocate files or directories to unintended paths.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in fs/vfs/fs_rename in Apache NuttX RTOS 7.20 through 12.10.x allows attackers with VFS write access to misdirect moves. The recursive directory-move logic reuses one heap buffer through two pointers; resizing it frees the allocation before another pointer writes the destination path. Reachability requires attacker-controlled rename or move requests through a write-enabled VFS service such as FTP, and successful exploitation can relocate files or directories to unintended paths.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-48769
- Published
- Jan 1, 2026
- Updated
- Jan 1, 2026
- Vendor
- The Apache Software Foundation
- Product
- Apache NuttX
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1565
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 1, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jan 1, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=7.20 <12.11.0
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
- NuttShell mv use-after-free reproductionproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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