How severe is CVE-2026-22693?

CVE-2026-22693 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.3, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability low.

Is CVE-2026-22693 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (30th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-22693?

CVE-2026-22693 affects Harfbuzz Project Harfbuzz. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2026-22693?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

Does CVE-2026-22693 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2026-22693 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-1871.

When was CVE-2026-22693 published?

CVE-2026-22693 was published on 2026-01-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2026-22693

CVE-2026-22693 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Harfbuzz Project Harfbuzz with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.3. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-476.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.3)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (30th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2026-1871
Weakness: CWE-476
Affected product: Harfbuzz Project Harfbuzz
Published: 2026-01-10
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

HarfBuzz is a text shaping engine. Prior to version 12.3.0, a null pointer dereference vulnerability exists in the SubtableUnicodesCache::create function located in src/hb-ot-cmap-table.hh. The function fails to check if hb_malloc returns NULL before using placement new to construct an object at the returned pointer address. When hb_malloc fails to allocate memory (which can occur in low-memory conditions or when using custom allocators that simulate allocation failures), it returns NULL. The code then attempts to call the constructor on this null pointer using placement new syntax, resulting in undefined behavior and a Segmentation Fault. This issue has been patched in version 12.3.0.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-22693?: HarfBuzz is a text shaping engine. Prior to version 12.3.0, a null pointer dereference vulnerability exists in the SubtableUnicodesCache::create function located in src/hb-ot-cmap-table.hh. The function fails to check if hb_malloc returns NULL before using placement new to construct an object at the returned pointer address. When hb_malloc fails to allocate memory (which can occur in low-memory conditions or when using custom allocators that simulate allocation failures), it returns NULL. The code then attempts to call the constructor on this null pointer using placement new syntax, resulting in undefined behavior and a Segmentation Fault. This issue has been patched in version 12.3.0.
How severe is CVE-2026-22693?: CVE-2026-22693 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.3, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability low.
Is CVE-2026-22693 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (30th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-22693?: CVE-2026-22693 affects Harfbuzz Project Harfbuzz. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2026-22693?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2026-22693 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2026-22693 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-1871.
When was CVE-2026-22693 published?: CVE-2026-22693 was published on 2026-01-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:harfbuzz_project:harfbuzz:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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