CVE-2026-82596: LatencyUtils Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

CVE-2026-82596 Overview

CVE-2026-82596 is a memory corruption vulnerability affecting LatencyUtils up to version 2.0.3. The flaw resides in the LatencyStats.recordDetectedPause function within src/main/java/org/LatencyUtils/LatencyStats.java, part of the PauseDetector component. An attacker with local access and low privileges can manipulate inputs to trigger memory corruption. The exploit has been publicly disclosed. The maintainers were notified through an issue report but have not responded at the time of publication.

Critical Impact
Local attackers with low privileges can corrupt memory in applications using LatencyUtils, potentially degrading availability of services that rely on the library for latency measurement.

Affected Products

LatencyUtils versions up to and including 2.0.3
Component: PauseDetector
File: src/main/java/org/LatencyUtils/LatencyStats.java

Discovery Timeline

2026-08-31 - CVE-2026-82596 published to NVD
2026-08-31 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-82596

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is classified under [CWE-119], improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer. The defect exists in the recordDetectedPause function of LatencyStats, which is invoked by the PauseDetector component to record detected pause events. Manipulated input passed to this function can cause memory corruption within the process address space of the host Java application.

LatencyUtils is a Java library commonly embedded in performance-monitoring, benchmarking, and telemetry stacks. Applications that expose latency-recording paths to lower-privileged local users inherit the risk. Because the attack requires local access and low privileges, exposure is limited to multi-tenant hosts, shared build servers, and containerized workloads where an unprivileged actor can reach the recording API.

Root Cause

The root cause is unsafe handling of values recorded through LatencyStats.recordDetectedPause. The function does not sufficiently validate boundary conditions before writing measurement data, allowing an attacker-controlled value to corrupt adjacent memory structures maintained by the pause detector.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires local access to a system running an application that uses LatencyUtils and exposes the pause-recording path to a low-privileged actor. The attacker triggers repeated or manipulated calls into recordDetectedPause to produce memory corruption. Public disclosure of the exploit lowers the barrier to weaponization.

No verified proof-of-concept code has been published in a curated exploit repository. See the GitHub Issue #22 Discussion and the VulDB CVE-2026-82596 Entry for technical background.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-82596

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected Java Virtual Machine (JVM) crashes or SIGSEGV faults in processes that load LatencyUtils
Abnormal heap-dump anomalies referencing org.LatencyUtils.LatencyStats or PauseDetector internals
Spikes in local process calls into latency-recording APIs from unprivileged users

Detection Strategies

Inventory Java applications and container images for the LatencyUtils artifact at version 2.0.3 or earlier using software composition analysis
Monitor JVM crash logs and hs_err_pid files for stack traces referencing LatencyStats.recordDetectedPause
Correlate local process execution telemetry with unexpected access to services embedding LatencyUtils

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable endpoint telemetry to record local process launches and inter-process communication with JVM services that use LatencyUtils
Alert on repeated child-process crashes or restarts of services embedding the affected library
Track dependency graphs in build pipelines to flag reintroduction of vulnerable LatencyUtils versions

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-82596

Immediate Actions Required

Identify every application, container image, and build artifact that bundles LatencyUtils at version 2.0.3 or earlier
Restrict local access to hosts running affected Java services and enforce least-privilege on shared systems
Isolate build servers and multi-tenant hosts where untrusted local users could reach latency-recording APIs

Patch Information

At the time of publication, the LatencyUtils project has not responded to the issue report and no fixed release is available. Track the GitHub LatencyUtils Repository and GitHub Issue #22 Discussion for a maintainer response and future patched versions.

Workarounds

Remove LatencyUtils from applications that do not require pause detection or replace it with an alternative latency-measurement library
Constrain the JVM under a restrictive security profile such as seccomp or AppArmor to contain the impact of memory corruption
Run affected services under dedicated low-privilege accounts and in isolated containers to prevent lateral impact
Disable code paths that expose recordDetectedPause to untrusted local input where feasible

bash

# Example: scan a Maven project for the vulnerable dependency
mvn dependency:tree | grep -i latencyutils

# Example: locate LatencyUtils jars on a host
find / -type f -name 'LatencyUtils*.jar' 2>/dev/null