CVE-2026-1188: Eclipse OMR Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

CVE-2026-1188 Overview

A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the Eclipse OMR port library component affecting versions since release 0.2.0. The flaw occurs in an API function responsible for returning the textual names of all supported processor features. The function fails to properly account for separator characters inserted between processor feature names when calculating buffer boundaries. When an incorrectly sized output buffer is supplied to this function, the improper boundary calculation can lead to a buffer overflow condition.

Critical Impact

Attackers could potentially exploit this buffer overflow to cause memory corruption, leading to application crashes, denial of service, or potentially arbitrary code execution depending on the application context.

Affected Products

• Eclipse OMR versions 0.2.0 through 0.7.x
• Applications utilizing the Eclipse OMR port library component
• Systems using the processor feature enumeration API

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-29 - CVE CVE-2026-1188 published to NVD
• 2026-01-29 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-1188

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-131 (Incorrect Calculation of Buffer Size). The core issue lies in the processor feature enumeration function within the Eclipse OMR port library. When the function iterates through available processor features and writes their textual names to a caller-supplied buffer, it inserts separator characters between each feature name. However, the boundary checking logic that determines whether a write operation is safe fails to account for the additional space consumed by these separators.

This miscalculation creates a scenario where the function may continue writing data beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, resulting in a classic buffer overflow condition. The vulnerability is network-accessible and requires no authentication or user interaction to exploit, making it a concern for applications that expose the affected API to untrusted input.

Root Cause

The root cause is an improper calculation of buffer size requirements in the processor feature enumeration API. Specifically, the code path that validates available buffer space before writing feature names does not include the length of separator characters in its calculation. This off-by-one style error accumulates with each feature name written, potentially causing significant buffer overruns when multiple processor features are enumerated.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability can be exploited remotely over the network. An attacker could craft input that triggers the vulnerable API function with a carefully sized buffer, causing the overflow condition. The attack does not require any privileges or user interaction. Depending on how the affected application handles the processor feature enumeration API and what data structures are adjacent to the vulnerable buffer in memory, exploitation could lead to:

• Denial of service through application crash
• Memory corruption affecting application state
• Potential code execution if heap or stack metadata can be overwritten

The vulnerability mechanism involves the separator calculation error in the buffer boundary check. When processor feature names are written to the output buffer with separators, the function incorrectly determines available space, leading to writes beyond buffer boundaries. For technical implementation details, refer to the GitHub Pull Request that addresses this issue.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-1188

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected application crashes in processes using Eclipse OMR library
• Memory corruption errors or segmentation faults in applications utilizing processor feature enumeration
• Abnormal memory access patterns in processes linked against vulnerable Eclipse OMR versions

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for applications loading Eclipse OMR library versions between 0.2.0 and 0.7.x
• Implement runtime memory protection mechanisms (ASLR, stack canaries) to detect overflow attempts
• Use software composition analysis tools to identify vulnerable Eclipse OMR dependencies in your codebase
• Deploy application-level monitoring for abnormal terminations in affected applications

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable enhanced logging for applications using Eclipse OMR port library functions
• Implement memory sanitizers during development and testing phases to catch overflow conditions
• Monitor system logs for crash dumps or memory violation errors associated with Eclipse OMR-dependent applications
• Set up alerts for abnormal process termination patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-1188

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Eclipse OMR to version 0.8.0 or later immediately
• Audit all applications using Eclipse OMR port library for exposure to the vulnerable API
• Implement input validation on buffer sizes passed to processor feature enumeration functions
• Consider temporarily disabling functionality that relies on the affected API if immediate patching is not possible

Patch Information

The vulnerability has been fixed in Eclipse OMR version 0.8.0. The fix addresses the incorrect buffer size calculation by properly accounting for separator characters when determining write boundaries. Organizations should update to version 0.8.0 or later to remediate this vulnerability. The patch details can be reviewed in the GitHub Pull Request #8082.

Workarounds

• Ensure output buffers passed to the processor feature enumeration API are generously sized with additional margin for separators
• Implement wrapper functions that validate buffer sizes before calling the vulnerable API
• Use memory-safe runtime environments or containers with strict memory limits to contain potential exploitation
• Deploy application sandboxing to limit the impact of successful exploitation

If immediate patching is not feasible, ensure that buffer allocations for the processor feature enumeration API include sufficient additional space to account for separator characters. A conservative approach is to allocate buffer sizes significantly larger than the expected output to provide adequate safety margin until the patch can be applied.