Bootloader memory corruption via EFI PE overflows
Published May 11, 2026 · Updated May 11, 2026
Memory corruption in the EFI PE loader in barebox before 2026.04.0 allows attackers to corrupt heap memory via a crafted PE binary. The loader computes virtual image sizes with overflow-prone 32-bit section arithmetic and copies sections without ensuring raw-data ranges remain inside the file buffer. Loading the binary through TFTP, USB, SD card, or network boot is required; the resulting access can crash barebox, while code execution depends on the target memory layout and allocator.
Summary
What happened
Memory corruption in the EFI PE loader in barebox before 2026.04.0 allows attackers to corrupt heap memory via a crafted PE binary. The loader computes virtual image sizes with overflow-prone 32-bit section arithmetic and copies sections without ensuring raw-data ranges remain inside the file buffer. Loading the binary through TFTP, USB, SD card, or network boot is required; the resulting access can crash barebox, while code execution depends on the target memory layout and allocator.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-34963
- Published
- May 11, 2026
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- Pengutronix
- Product
- barebox
- Classifications
- CWE-190, T1203
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 11, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 11, 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=0 <=2026.04.0
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- EFI PE loader integer-overflow demonstrationproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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