# CVE-2026-111159: libewf heap out-of-bounds read in extended attribute parsing

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-111159-libewf-through-20260924-contains-a-heap-out-of-bounds-read  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-10-15. Updated: 2026-10-16  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-111159 · Severity: medium · CVSS 6.1 · Published 2026-10-15

libewf is a library for reading forensic disk images in Expert Witness Format (EWF). A flaw in its extended attribute parsing allows an attacker to supply a malicious EWF file that crashes the application or exposes uninitialized data from memory. An analyst processing untrusted forensic files could have their tools crash or sensitive information leaked.

Vendors: [Libyal](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/libyal).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-111159 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-111159 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-111159?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 6.1, published 15 October 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Libyal Libewf through 20260924.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-111159?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-111159 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-111159?** Check whether you run Libyal Libewf at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

The vulnerability is a heap out-of-bounds read in libewf_lef_extended_attribute_read_data() where UTF-16 name and value sizes are validated before being doubled for byte conversion, leading to integer overflow. An attacker can craft a .L01/.Lx01 EWF file with oversized extended attribute metadata counts to trigger the read. The flaw requires file parsing but no authentication or user interaction beyond opening the file.

## Affected products

- libyal libewf through 20260924

## Timeline

- 2026-10-15: disclosed

## References

- [https://github.com/libyal/libewf](https://github.com/libyal/libewf)
- [https://github.com/libyal/libewf/blob/d76fd0bb21601e2969bc88ffdaeb861023f6a5b2/libewf/libewf_lef_extended_attribute.c](https://github.com/libyal/libewf/blob/d76fd0bb21601e2969bc88ffdaeb861023f6a5b2/libewf/libewf_lef_extended_attribute.c)