Description
GNU Aspell 0.60.8.2 (first vulnerable version is not known) contains a heap-based buffer overflow write (CWE-122) in its read-only dictionary loader. String::reserve() in common/string.hpp computes its capacity check with a signed int ((int)s + 1), so a requested size of 0x7FFFFFFF wraps negative and the backing buffer is never grown. ReadOnlyDict::load() in modules/speller/default/readonly_ws.cpp passes the unvalidated 32-bit size fields from a .rws dictionary header into this path, so a crafted .rws file with a valid endian marker (12345678) and an oversized length field (e.g. lang_name_size = 0x7FFFFFFF) causes attacker-controlled data to be written out of bounds past an undersized heap allocation. An attacker who induces a victim to load a malicious dictionary — for example via aspell dump master <file> — can corrupt heap memory, resulting in denial of service and potentially code execution. Fixed in b830b6e and will be fixed in release 0.60.8.3.
Published: 2026-10-12
Score: 5.9 Medium
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
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Remediation

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History

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Title aspell: aspell: Arbitrary code execution via crafted dictionary file
Weaknesses CWE-787
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

threat_severity

Important


Mon, 12 Oct 2026 23:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Gnu
Gnu aspell
Vendors & Products Gnu
Gnu aspell

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 22:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description GNU Aspell through 0.60.8.2 contains a heap-based buffer overflow write (CWE-122) in its read-only dictionary loader. String::reserve() in common/string.hpp computes its capacity check with a signed int ((int)s + 1), so a requested size of 0x7FFFFFFF wraps negative and the backing buffer is never grown. ReadOnlyDict::load() in modules/speller/default/readonly_ws.cpp passes the unvalidated 32-bit size fields from a .rws dictionary header into this path, so a crafted .rws file with a valid endian marker (12345678) and an oversized length field (e.g. lang_name_size = 0x7FFFFFFF) causes attacker-controlled data to be written out of bounds past an undersized heap allocation. An attacker who induces a victim to load a malicious dictionary — for example via aspell dump master <file> — can corrupt heap memory, resulting in denial of service and potentially code execution. Fixed in 0.60.8.3. GNU Aspell 0.60.8.2 (first vulnerable version is not known) contains a heap-based buffer overflow write (CWE-122) in its read-only dictionary loader. String::reserve() in common/string.hpp computes its capacity check with a signed int ((int)s + 1), so a requested size of 0x7FFFFFFF wraps negative and the backing buffer is never grown. ReadOnlyDict::load() in modules/speller/default/readonly_ws.cpp passes the unvalidated 32-bit size fields from a .rws dictionary header into this path, so a crafted .rws file with a valid endian marker (12345678) and an oversized length field (e.g. lang_name_size = 0x7FFFFFFF) causes attacker-controlled data to be written out of bounds past an undersized heap allocation. An attacker who induces a victim to load a malicious dictionary — for example via aspell dump master <file> — can corrupt heap memory, resulting in denial of service and potentially code execution. Fixed in b830b6e and will be fixed in release 0.60.8.3.

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 21:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description GNU Aspell through 0.60.8.2 contains a heap-based buffer overflow write (CWE-122) in its read-only dictionary loader. String::reserve() in common/string.hpp computes its capacity check with a signed int ((int)s + 1), so a requested size of 0x7FFFFFFF wraps negative and the backing buffer is never grown. ReadOnlyDict::load() in modules/speller/default/readonly_ws.cpp passes the unvalidated 32-bit size fields from a .rws dictionary header into this path, so a crafted .rws file with a valid endian marker (12345678) and an oversized length field (e.g. lang_name_size = 0x7FFFFFFF) causes attacker-controlled data to be written out of bounds past an undersized heap allocation. An attacker who induces a victim to load a malicious dictionary — for example via aspell dump master <file> — can corrupt heap memory, resulting in denial of service and potentially code execution. Fixed in 0.60.8.3.
Weaknesses CWE-122
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.9, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L'}


cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Anthropic

Published:

Updated: 2026-10-12T22:12:10.457Z

Reserved: 2026-10-01T08:19:42.892Z

Link: CVE-2026-103658

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-10-12T22:17:03.143

Modified: 2026-10-12T23:17:19.700

Link: CVE-2026-103658

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Important

Publid Date: 2026-10-12T21:24:48Z

Links: CVE-2026-103658 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-10-13T01:15:15Z

Weaknesses