CVE-2026-96596Public exploitHinoki check available

Extraction hang via nonadvancing sparse-member reads

Published Oct 14, 2026 · Updated Oct 14, 2026

Infinite looping in Erlang/OTP 29.0 allows attackers to hang disk extraction of tar archives via a crafted GNU sparse member. erl_tar:do_sparse_read/3 handles a trailing hole before checking for a zero-length read, repeatedly reading zero bytes without advancing. Exploitation requires disk extraction; memory extraction is unaffected, while Hex, Rebar3, and hex_core contain independently affected copies that also hang the extracting process and occupy one scheduler.

CVSS severity5.9
Medium
EPSS probability0.18%
Next 30 days · Oct 19, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkAvailable
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Summary

What happened

Infinite looping in Erlang/OTP 29.0 allows attackers to hang disk extraction of tar archives via a crafted GNU sparse member. erl_tar:do_sparse_read/3 handles a trailing hole before checking for a zero-length read, repeatedly reading zero bytes without advancing. Exploitation requires disk extraction; memory extraction is unaffected, while Hex, Rebar3, and hex_core contain independently affected copies that also hang the extracting process and occupy one scheduler.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-96596
Published
Oct 14, 2026
Updated
Oct 14, 2026
Vendor
Six Colors AB
Product
Hex
Classifications
CWE-835, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 14, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 14, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=2.4.2 <*
  2. Affected versionversion=5543a1919c709d8eb2b317f62aad76ca1eed375c <*

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Six Colors AB · Hexversion=2.4.2 <*; version=5543a1919c709d8eb2b317f62aad76ca1eed375c <*
Erlang · Rebar3version=23dbdb5d1f87f56902aef296c88a20049cd0c6e4 <*; version=3.27.1 <*
Erlang · Erlang/OTPversion=29.0 <29.1.2; version=8.0 <8.1.1; version=fbf2c7194f6fce4b7b66dc0bcaa4f6b4b85e088f <3086307f311b78b38644a7787a3aca6a3f95a9d5
Six Colors AB · hex_coreversion=0.14.0 <*; version=13bb9fbba418a406af614790b8d5cd458259ee70 <*

Published CVSS scores

5.9Erlang/OTPCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

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.

Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 22, 2026Sep 28, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 28, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-835Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

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Technologies

Your stack

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