CVE-2026-38752 BusyBox CVE debrief

Who should care

Users and administrators of BusyBox, especially those using it in networked environments, should be aware of this vulnerability and take steps to mitigate it. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 7.5, indicating a high severity. This vulnerability can be exploited to cause a denial-of-service condition.

Technical summary

The vulnerability is caused by a stack overflow in the evaluate() function in editors/awk.c of BusyBox. This can be exploited by supplying a crafted AWK script, potentially leading to a Denial of Service (DoS) condition. The CVSS score for this vulnerability is 7.5, indicating a high severity. The vulnerability affects BusyBox, a software suite of Unix utilities. Users and administrators of BusyBox, especially those using it in networked environments, should be aware of this vulnerability and take steps to mitigate it.

Defensive priority

High priority should be given to patching or mitigating this vulnerability, as it can be exploited to cause a denial-of-service condition.

Recommended defensive actions

• Apply the patch or update BusyBox to a version that fixes this vulnerability.
• Restrict access to the BusyBox utilities to prevent exploitation.
• Monitor for suspicious activity that could indicate exploitation attempts.
• Review compensating controls for exposed systems while remediation is scheduled and verified.
• Check relevant monitoring, detection, and logs for exposed assets that need extra review.
• Track exceptions, retest remediated assets, and close the item only after evidence is documented.
• Confirm whether affected product deployments exist in managed environments and assign an owner for follow-up.

Evidence notes

The CVE record was published on 2026-07-15T22:16:47.130Z and was last modified on 2026-07-16T19:58:15.720Z. The NVD entry is currently Analyzed. This information is based on the NVD entry and the CVE record. The vulnerability affects BusyBox, a software suite of Unix utilities. The evaluate() function in editors/awk.c is vulnerable to a stack overflow attack. This can be exploited by supplying a crafted AWK script, potentially leading to a Denial of Service (DoS) condition.

Sources and references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.