High severity · published Oct 14, 2026
CVE-2026-73261
Mongoose: handle_opt() missing opts[1] > len check — 1-byte OOB read corrupts TCP MSS, silences mg_send() per connection
7.5
CVSS
0.3%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
Mongoose is an embedded web server and network library. Prior to 7.23, the built-in TCP/IP stack enabled by MG_ENABLE_TCPIP in src/net_builtin.c does not reject a TCP option whose declared opts[1] length exceeds the remaining option bytes. In handle_opt(), a NOP followed by a truncated MSS option causes opts[3] to be read outside the declared options area and used as the low byte of dmss. An unauthenticated remote peer can corrupt the per-connection MSS value so later mg_send() calls transmit truncated or zero-length application payloads while the TCP connection otherwise appears healthy. This issue is fixed in version 7.23.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.3% · higher than 28% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
MO
mongoose · cesanta
< 7.23 · source: vendor
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-73261
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-73261
github.com
https://github.com/cesanta/mongoose/commit/cc7c6d2d18c28fcc6d085633dddd88402946140a
github.com
https://github.com/cesanta/mongoose/releases/tag/7.23
github.com
https://github.com/cesanta/mongoose/security/advisories/GHSA-3fmr-92g4-wchx
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