CVE-2026-72020: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability
CRITICALCVE-2026-72020 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-457: Use of Uninitialized Variable) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the code uses a variable that has not been initialized, leading to unpredictable or unintended results.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.
CVE-2026-72020 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 9.8
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
How to Fix CVE-2026-72020
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.
Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
mvn dependency:treeHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2026-72020, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:
mvn dependency:treeAnalyze 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-457: Use of Uninitialized Variable, where the code uses a variable that has not been initialized, leading to unpredictable or unintended results. 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
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-72020?
Which Software versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2026-72020?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-72020?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-72020?
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-72020?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-phwq-3c7h-j8x3",
"modified" : "2026-08-17T06:33:04Z",
"published" : "2026-08-15T06:32:09Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-72020" ],
"details" : "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nipvs: reset full ip_vs_seq structs in ip_vs_conn_new\n\nCommit 9a05475cebdd (\"ipvs: avoid kmem_cache_zalloc in\nip_vs_conn_new\") changed ip_vs_conn_new() to allocate an ip_vs_conn\nobject with kmem_cache_alloc(). The function then initializes many\nfields explicitly, but only resets in_seq.delta and out_seq.delta in the\ntwo struct ip_vs_seq members.\n\nThat leaves init_seq and previous_delta uninitialized. This is normally\nharmless while the corresponding IP_VS_CONN_F_IN_SEQ or\nIP_VS_CONN_F_OUT_SEQ flag is clear. For connections learned from a sync\nmessage, however, ip_vs_proc_conn() preserves those flags from\nIP_VS_CONN_F_BACKUP_MASK and passes opt=NULL when the message omits\nIPVS_OPT_SEQ_DATA. In that case the new connection can be hashed with\nSEQ flags set but with the rest of in_seq/out_seq still containing stale\nslab data.\n\nWhen a packet for such a connection is later handled by an IPVS\napplication helper, vs_fix_seq() and vs_fix_ack_seq() use\nprevious_delta and init_seq to rewrite TCP sequence numbers. A malformed\nsync message can therefore make forwarded packets carry stale slab bytes\nin their TCP seq/ack numbers, and can also corrupt the forwarded TCP\nflow.\n\nReset both struct ip_vs_seq members completely before publishing the\nconnection. This matches the existing \"reset struct ip_vs_seq\" comment\nand keeps the sequence-adjustment gates inactive unless valid sequence\ndata is installed later.",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
} ],
"affected" : [ ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72020"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2975324d164c552b028632f107b567302863b7f6"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/32c299e28b8eea6cbbd23b97dc61401e9ef9c445"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3bf9a260188b2a5449cbddc032a749ab433fe328"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6335ab62d5fc9ed875279238233fba3462c168f5"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6378c5cb360eb1750f88839d7c3613ea92ac1816"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/83fb4c2c5344f02eac929f66de3c9d1adfcde04c"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9e36602cbec552286f7e691cfd366525c565ee74"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d0eed7177e822cab83141e5c44b2aa345c7fd379"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-457" ],
"severity" : "CRITICAL",
"github_reviewed" : false,
"github_reviewed_at" : null,
"nvd_published_at" : "2026-08-15T06:21:00Z"
}
}