Description

Heap-based Buffer Overflow vulnerability in Apache Portable Runtime Utility memcached client This issue affects Apache Portable Runtime Utility: from 1.3.0 through 1.6.3.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "7.5",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-06T15:16:54.920Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-06T15:16:54.920Z",
  "executiveSummary": "A Heap-based Buffer Overflow vulnerability has been identified within the memcached client component of the Apache Portable Runtime Utility.\nThis security defect impacts Apache Portable Runtime Utility versions ranging from 1.3.0 through 1.6.3.\nSuccessful exploitation of this memory corruption vulnerability can lead to arbitrary code execution, denial of service conditions, or application crashes within processes utilizing the affected memcached client interface.\nThe vulnerability poses significant risk implications for enterprise applications relying on the Apache Portable Runtime Utility for memcached integration, as remote attackers could potentially manipulate data handling routines.\nAttacker capabilities include memory manipulation through crafted inputs sent to the vulnerable client component.\nWhile specific exploitation requirements and authentication vectors are contingent upon the broader application architecture consuming the library, standard exploitation typically involves unvalidated or oversized responses from a controlled or compromised memcached server.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability resides in the heap-based buffer management logic of the Apache Portable Runtime Utility memcached client component, specifically within versions 1.3.0 through 1.6.3.\nThe root cause stems from improper bounds checking and memory allocation sizing when processing data retrieved from a memcached server instance.\nWhen the memcached client receives excessively large payloads or malformed responses, the internal buffer allocation routines fail to adequately calculate the required heap space, leading to a heap-based buffer overflow condition.\nThe attack flow initiates when an adversary interacts with or spoofs a memcached server queried by the vulnerable Apache Portable Runtime Utility client.\nUpon receiving the malicious payload, the vulnerable component writes data past the boundaries of the allocated heap buffer, corrupting adjacent memory structures and heap metadata.\nDepending on the heap layout and the specific data written during the overflow, post-exploitation impact ranges from application destabilization resulting in a denial of service to the potential execution of arbitrary code under the security context of the process utilizing the library.\nNetwork exposure is determined by how the application implements the memcached client, but typically involves network sockets communicating with memcached daemons.\nAuthentication and privilege requirements for exploitation depend on network topology and access controls enforced between the client application and the memcached server, though a compromised or malicious upstream memcached instance can reliably trigger the condition without prior client-side authentication."
}