liboqs is a C-language cryptographic library that provides implementations of post-quantum cryptography algorithms. Prior to 0.16.0, an out-of-bounds read has been identified in the XMSS and XMSS^MT stateful signature verification code. When the verification function is called with a signature buffer shorter than the expected signature size for the given parameter set, the implementation does not validate the caller-supplied length and proceeds to read past the end of the buffer. The out-of-bounds bytes are consumed only as input to an internal hash computation and are not returned to the caller, so no oracle exists to leak their contents to an attacker. The primary observable effect is a possible crash (denial of service) of the verifying process if the read crosses into an unmapped memory page. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.16.0.
History

Fri, 29 May 2026 19:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Open Quantum Safe
Open Quantum Safe liboqs
Vendors & Products Open Quantum Safe
Open Quantum Safe liboqs

Fri, 29 May 2026 19:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'yes', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}


Fri, 29 May 2026 18:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description liboqs is a C-language cryptographic library that provides implementations of post-quantum cryptography algorithms. Prior to 0.16.0, an out-of-bounds read has been identified in the XMSS and XMSS^MT stateful signature verification code. When the verification function is called with a signature buffer shorter than the expected signature size for the given parameter set, the implementation does not validate the caller-supplied length and proceeds to read past the end of the buffer. The out-of-bounds bytes are consumed only as input to an internal hash computation and are not returned to the caller, so no oracle exists to leak their contents to an attacker. The primary observable effect is a possible crash (denial of service) of the verifying process if the read crosses into an unmapped memory page. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.16.0.
Title liboqs: XMSS Buffer Overread Bug
Weaknesses CWE-125
CWE-20
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.3, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L'}


cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: GitHub_M

Published:

Updated: 2026-05-29T18:41:01.927Z

Reserved: 2026-05-06T18:28:20.888Z

Link: CVE-2026-44518

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2026-05-29T18:40:43.814Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-05-29T19:16:24.263

Modified: 2026-05-29T19:16:24.263

Link: CVE-2026-44518

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-05-29T19:30:05Z