CVE-2026-39956
Description
A flaw was found in jq, a command line JSON processor. In release builds, the _strindices builtin function calls the jv_string_indexes function without checking that the arguments are actually strings. This missing validation allows an attacker who can supply non-string inputs to cause an application crash and a limited memory read.
Statement
To exploit this flaw, a user needs to process JSON input with an attacker-supplied argument to the _strindices builtin. This allows the attacker to cause an application crash and a limited memory read with no other security impact. Due to these reasons, this vulnerability has been rated with a moderate severity.
Mitigation
Do not use untrusted input as an argument to a jq builtin, specifically '_strindices'.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 6.1 | N/A | 6.1 |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | Local |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | None | N/A | None |
| User Interaction | Required | N/A | Required |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | Low | N/A | Low |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | None |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Other
Technical Impact: Varies by Context
Frequently Asked Questions
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