CVE-2026-56123

Description

socat versions 1.8.0.0 through 1.8.1.1 contain a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability that allows a malicious SOCKS5 proxy server to overwrite adjacent heap memory by exploiting a sign-extension flaw in the DOMAINNAME reply parser. During connection setup, the domain name length byte is read through a signed char field causing a negative bytes_to_read value that is implicitly converted to size_t, resulting in an unbounded heap write into the 262-byte reply buffer with attacker-controlled size and content.

CVSS v3.1 Score

8.1

HIGH

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0031

Probability of exploitation

0.23%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-122 CWE-122

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
dest-unreach	socat	1.8.0.0 — 1.8.1.2

References

Other References

http://www.dest-unreach.org/socat/CHANGES https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/socat-heap-buffer-overflow-via-socks5-reply-parser

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-56123? +

socat versions 1.8.0.0 through 1.8.1.1 contain a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability that allows a malicious SOCKS5 proxy server to overwrite adjacent heap memory by exploiting a sign-extension flaw in the DOMAINNAME reply parser. During connection setup, the domain name length byte is read through a signed char field causing a negative bytes_to_read value that is implicitly converted to size_t, resulting in an unbounded heap write into the 262-byte reply buffer with attacker-controlled size and content. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-56123? +

CVE-2026-56123 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.1 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching. The EPSS score is 0.0031, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-56123? +

CVE-2026-56123 affects products from dest-unreach, specifically: socat. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-56123? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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