CVE-2026-89161: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-7g92-94jm-fx5f
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CVSS 7.4
CWE-590
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-89161 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.4) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-590: Free of Memory not on the Heap) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product calls free() on a pointer to memory that was not allocated using associated heap allocation functions such as malloc(), calloc(), or realloc().. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2026-89161 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-89161
GHSA Identifier GHSA-7g92-94jm-fx5f
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.4
CWE Classification CWE-590: Free of Memory not on the Heap
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.4

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Local (AV:L)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2026-89161

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Software dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2026-89161, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Software in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-590: Free of Memory not on the Heap, where the product calls free() on a pointer to memory that was not allocated using associated heap allocation functions such as malloc(), calloc(), or realloc(). In Software, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

In PCRE2 before 10.48, pcre2_jit_match mishandles a previously copied subject being passed in as a context. An incorrect free operation can occur.

References

NVD — CVE-2026-89161 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-89161
Software Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/PCRE2Project/pcre2/pull/937
Software Release RELEASE
https://github.com/PCRE2Project/pcre2/releases/tag/pcre2-10.48

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-89161?
CVE-2026-89161 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-590: Free of Memory not on the Heap.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2026-89161?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-89161?
CVE-2026-89161 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.4 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-89161?
CVE-2026-89161 is classified under CWE-590: Free of Memory not on the Heap (The product calls free() on a pointer to memory that was not allocated using associated heap allocation functions such as malloc(), calloc(), or realloc().).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-89161?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-7g92-94jm-fx5f",
  "modified" : "2026-09-11T06:31:13Z",
  "published" : "2026-09-11T06:31:13Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-89161" ],
  "details" : "In PCRE2 before 10.48, pcre2_jit_match mishandles a previously copied subject being passed in as a context. An incorrect free operation can occur.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-89161"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/PCRE2Project/pcre2/pull/937"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/PCRE2Project/pcre2/releases/tag/pcre2-10.48"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-590" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-09-11T04:18:04Z"
  }
}