# CVE-2026-53910: diffutils: diff3 tool from GNU diffutils is vulnerable to a heap‑based buffer overflow due to multiple signed integer overflows...

CVE-2026-53910 is fixed in diffutils on 1 platform, first by diffutils 1:3.6-1ubuntu0.1~esm1, released July 22, 2026. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: Routine.

- Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-53910
- Priority: Routine
- CVSS: n/a (Medium)
- EPSS: 0.0029
- CISA KEV: not listed
- Exploited (vendor report): no
- Publicly disclosed: no
- Published: Jul 22, 2026

## Description

diff3 tool from GNU diffutils is vulnerable to a heap‑based buffer overflow due to multiple signed integer overflows in line‑mapping calculations. Incorrect arithmetic in mapping line ranges can result in corrupted values being used for memory allocation and loop bounds. When processing crafted diff output, these overflows may cause the application to allocate insufficient memory and subsequently perform out‑of‑bounds writes during internal processing. An attacker who can control the output of the diff program used by diff3 (e.g. via --diff-program pointing to a malicious script) can trigger out-of-bounds writes, resulting in a crash and potentially remote code execution depending on the environment. This issue has been fixed in commit 9ff04d5b84743e331e80b589335a52c5480d1815 NOTE: The project maintainers claim that this is not a security issue. They state that the worst outcome this issue can cause is a crash of diff and that it cannot be used to escalate privileges.

## Where it's fixed

| Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | diffutils Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS (bionic) | 1:3.6-1ubuntu0.1~esm1 | [diffutils 1:3.6-1ubuntu0.1~esm1](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-bionic-diffutils-1-3.6-1ubuntu0.1-esm1.md) | Jul 22, 2026 |
| Linux | diffutils Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (focal) | 1:3.7-3ubuntu0.1~esm1 | [diffutils 1:3.7-3ubuntu0.1~esm1](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-focal-diffutils-1-3.7-3ubuntu0.1-esm1.md) | Jul 22, 2026 |
| Linux | diffutils Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS (jammy) | 1:3.8-0ubuntu2.1 | [diffutils 1:3.8-0ubuntu2.1](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-jammy-diffutils-1-3.8-0ubuntu2.1.md) | Jul 22, 2026 |
| Linux | diffutils Ubuntu 24.04.5 LTS (noble) | 1:3.10-1ubuntu0.1 | [diffutils 1:3.10-1ubuntu0.1](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-noble-diffutils-1-3.10-1ubuntu0.1.md) | Jul 22, 2026 |
| Linux | diffutils Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS (resolute) | 1:3.12-1ubuntu0.1 | [diffutils 1:3.12-1ubuntu0.1](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-resolute-diffutils-1-3.12-1ubuntu0.1.md) | Jul 22, 2026 |

---

Data as of 2026-11-09T19:38:12Z UTC. Source: Patchblox Patch Radar (https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar). Patchblox finds out-of-date software on Windows, macOS and Linux and updates it through release rings: https://patchblox.com/demo

Free to use with attribution: show "Data: Patchblox Patch Radar" with a link to https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar. Terms, including what needs a written agreement: https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar/use-the-data

Product names, logos and trademarks shown on Patch Radar belong to their respective owners. They are used only to identify the software each security fix applies to and to help readers find their platform. Their use does not imply any affiliation with, or endorsement by, those owners, and Patchblox is not affiliated with any of them.