CVE-2026-22264CWE-416

Suricata detect/alert: heap-use-after-free on alert queue expansion

High · published January 27, 2026

CVSS v3.1
7.4
EPSS
0%
Percentile
33.4
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

⚡ An unsigned integer overflow in Suricata could allow attackers to exploit a heap use-after-free condition! This is no ordinary glitch — it’s a red flag for network security! 🔥 Think of it like a fire alarm system that gets so many alerts from a single smoke detector that it crashes and forgets how to handle all the noise. When overloaded, it can misdirect resources, leaving the entire building vulnerable! With this vulnerability, an attacker could potentially overwhelm the system with excessive alerts, leading to a crash that creates opportunities to bypass security measures. This could result in unauthorized access, data loss, or system instability that can compromise your entire network. Yikes!

Put simply

Think of it like a fire alarm system that gets so many alerts from a single smoke detector that it crashes and forgets how to handle all the noise. When overloaded, it can misdirect resources, leaving the entire building vulnerable! The issue lies in an unsigned integer overflow when Suricata generates a high volume of alerts for a single packet, creating a heap use-after-free situation. This flaw could be leveraged to execute arbitrary code or cause system crashes under certain conditions.

What to do

With this vulnerability, an attacker could potentially overwhelm the system with excessive alerts, leading to a crash that creates opportunities to bypass security measures. This could result in unauthorized access, data loss, or system instability that can compromise your entire network. Yikes! To safeguard your systems, upgrade Suricata to version 8.0.3 or 7.0.14 immediately. Additionally, consider running fewer than 65,536 signatures on the same packet and avoid using untrusted rulesets as a temporary workaround. You've got this! Implement these steps and your defenses will be stronger than ever! 🛡️

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
7.4 · HIGH
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.00403 · 33.4th percentile
Weakness
CWE-416 · Use After Free
Published
2026-01-27T18:33Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 27 JAN 18:33Z
    Suricata detect/alert: heap-use-after-free on alert queue expansion
    cvelistv5