msgpack_unpacker_expand_buffer in src/unpack.c, reached through the public msgpack_unpacker_reserve_buffer API, computes its new buffer size using an unchecked size_t addition of the requested size and the amount already used. The doubling loop guards its own multiplication against overflow, but the addition in the loop condition is unguarded, so a request near SIZE_MAX wraps: the loop condition is already satisfied, the allocation is performed at the small pre-wrap size, and the function returns true. The caller is told the requested capacity was reserved when it was not, so a subsequent write of the requested length overflows the heap buffer. The library's own example/lib_buffer_unpack.c demonstrates the reserve-then-write pattern, and its defensive assert comparing capacity against the request is compiled out under NDEBUG. msgpack-c's own decode entry points do not derive the reservation size from untrusted input, so reaching this requires an integration that passes an attacker-influenced length to the reservation API, such as a length-prefixed streaming transport.
CVE-2026-72854
This medium-severity CVE scores 5.3 under the CNA's CVSS (NVD's own analysis pending). EPSS exploit-prediction score not yet available (the EPSS model rescores nightly; freshly-published CVEs typically appear within 48 hours). GitHub Security Advisory data not yet ingested — confidence will rise once GHSA publishes (typical lag: hours to days for open-source ecosystem CVEs; never for infrastructure-only CVEs).
- Lower severity and no public exploit yet
No vendor fix yet — apply a workaround or compensating control (WAF / firewall / segmentation) and watch for a patch.
- CVSS v3
- 5.3
- EG Score
- 5.3(low)
- EG Risk
- 28(Track)EG Risk 28/100SSVC: Track
EG Risk is EchelonGraph's 0–100 priority score: it fuses intrinsic severity with real-world exploitation and automatability so you can rank equal-severity CVEs and fix the most dangerous first. Higher = act sooner. Distinct from the 0–10 EG Score (severity).
How it’s computedSeverity53% × 45%Exploitation0% × 40%Automatability30% × 15%Action: Routine — remediate on your standard cadence. - EPSS PROB
- —
- EPSS %ILE
- —
- KEV
- Not listed
Published
August 20, 2026
Last Modified
August 20, 2026
Advisory Details (6)
Auto-updated Aug 20, 2026msgpack-c Integer Overflow in msgpack_unpacker_expand_buffer Causes a False-Success Undersized Reservation | Advisories | VulnCheck
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/msgpack-c-integer-overflow-in-msgpack-unpacker-expand-buffer-causes-a-false-success-undersized-reservationGitHub - msgpack/msgpack-c: MessagePack implementation for C and C++ / msgpack.org[C/C++] · GitHub
https://github.com/msgpack/msgpack-cmsgpack-c/example/lib_buffer_unpack.c at c-7.0.1 · msgpack/msgpack-c · GitHub
https://github.com/msgpack/msgpack-c/blob/c-7.0.1/example/lib_buffer_unpack.cmsgpack-c/include/msgpack/unpack.h at c-7.0.1 · msgpack/msgpack-c · GitHub
https://github.com/msgpack/msgpack-c/blob/c-7.0.1/include/msgpack/unpack.h#L219-L223msgpack-c/src/unpack.c at c-7.0.1 · msgpack/msgpack-c · GitHub
https://github.com/msgpack/msgpack-c/blob/c-7.0.1/src/unpack.c#L429-L502Integer overflow in msgpack_unpacker_expand_buffer() causes false-success undersized reservation · Issue #1181 · msgpack/msgpack-c · GitHub
https://github.com/msgpack/msgpack-c/issues/1181Weakness Classification(2)
MITRE Common Weakness Enumeration — the root-cause categories this CVE belongs to.
Data Freshness Timeline
(refreshed 2× in last 7d / 2× in last 30d)
Each row is a source pipeline that fetched or updated this CVE on that date, with what changed. For example, "NVD update" means NVD published or revised its analysis for this CVE; "MITRE cvelistV5" means we ingested or refreshed it from the CNA feed. Most recent first.
- 2026-08-20 18:32 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-08-20 18:31 UTCMITRE cvelistV5first tracked
Related CVEs(same CWE)
Same CWE
10 shownCWE-190 · CWE-787
Frequently asked(4)
What is CVE-2026-72854?
When was CVE-2026-72854 disclosed?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-72854?
How do I remediate CVE-2026-72854?
Dependency Blast Radius
Explore the affected products and dependency analysis for CVE-2026-72854
Is Your Infrastructure Affected by CVE-2026-72854?
EchelonGraph automatically scans your cloud infrastructure and maps CVE exposure using blast radius analysis.