CVE-2026-20290: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-xxfc-5fpg-3fhq
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CVSS 5.8
CWE-805
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-20290 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.8) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-805: Buffer Access with Incorrect Length Value) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product uses a sequential operation to read or write a buffer, but it uses an incorrect length value that causes it to access memory that is outside of the bounds of the buffer.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2026-20290 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-20290
GHSA Identifier GHSA-xxfc-5fpg-3fhq
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.8
CWE Classification CWE-805: Buffer Access with Incorrect Length Value
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.8

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:C/C:N/I:N/A:L).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Changed (S:C)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability Low (A:L)

How to Fix CVE-2026-20290

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-2026-20290, 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-805: Buffer Access with Incorrect Length Value, where the product uses a sequential operation to read or write a buffer, but it uses an incorrect length value that causes it to access memory that is outside of the bounds of the buffer. 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

A vulnerability in SSL/TLS certificate parsing in the Snort 2 Detection Engine of Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause the Snort 2 Detection Engine to restart. This vulnerability is due to incomplete validation of the SSL certificate. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted SSL connection setup request to be parsed by Snort 2. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the Snort 2 Detection Engine to restart unexpectedly, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition.

References

NVD — CVE-2026-20290 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-20290
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ftd-snort2-ssldos-Mw7WYX9c

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-20290?
CVE-2026-20290 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-805: Buffer Access with Incorrect Length Value.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2026-20290?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-20290?
CVE-2026-20290 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.8 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-20290?
CVE-2026-20290 is classified under CWE-805: Buffer Access with Incorrect Length Value (The product uses a sequential operation to read or write a buffer, but it uses an incorrect length value that causes it to access memory that is outside of the bounds of the buffer.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-20290?
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-xxfc-5fpg-3fhq",
  "modified" : "2026-09-16T21:32:49Z",
  "published" : "2026-09-16T21:32:49Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-20290" ],
  "details" : "A vulnerability in SSL/TLS certificate parsing in the Snort 2 Detection Engine of Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause the Snort 2 Detection Engine to restart.\n\nThis vulnerability is due to incomplete validation of the SSL certificate. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted SSL connection setup request to be parsed by Snort 2. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the Snort 2 Detection Engine to restart unexpectedly, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:L"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-20290"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ftd-snort2-ssldos-Mw7WYX9c"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-805" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-09-16T21:17:09Z"
  }
}