# CVE-2026-115397: Ghidra resource allocation without limits in extension extraction

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-115397-ghidra-before-12-2-contains-a-resource-allocation-without-limits  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-10-22. Updated: 2026-10-22  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-115397 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5.5 · Published 2026-10-22

Ghidra is a reverse-engineering framework used by security researchers and analysts. The vulnerability allows attackers to craft a malicious extension archive that, when installed by a user, extracts an excessive number of files and exhausts the system's available filesystem inodes, causing the application and other processes to fail to write files or function properly.

Technologies: [National Security Agency Ghidra](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/ghidra). Vendors: [National Security Agency](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/national-security-agency).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-115397 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-115397 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-115397?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 5.5, published 22 October 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** National Security Agency Ghidra before 12.2.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-115397?** Yes: fixed in Ghidra 12.2. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-115397 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-115397?** Check whether you run National Security Agency Ghidra 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.

## How to fix

- Fixed in Ghidra 12.2

## Technical details

The ExtensionUtils.unzipToInstallationFolder() method fails to limit the number of files extracted from a ZIP archive, allowing a crafted extension to exhaust filesystem inodes. The attack requires user interaction (installing an extension) and is preceded by a network delivery of the malicious archive. A successful exploit denies service to Ghidra project writes and other filesystem-dependent operations.

## Affected products

- National Security Agency Ghidra before 12.2

## Timeline

- 2026-10-22: disclosed

## References

- [https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra](https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra)
- [https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/commit/7cb4e778efb69acb1919f841ad46d0da36e77eeb](https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/commit/7cb4e778efb69acb1919f841ad46d0da36e77eeb)

## Related threats

- [Ghidra zip bomb in extension extraction](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-115503-ghidra-before-12-2-contains-an-improper-handling-of-highly)
- [Ghidra zip bomb vulnerability in theme import](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-115396-ghidra-10-3-before-12-2-contains-an-improper-handling-of-highly)
- [Ghidra resource exhaustion in theme ZIP extraction](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-115395-ghidra-10-3-before-12-2-contains-a-resource-allocation-without)
- [National Security Agency Ghidra heap out-of-bounds read in StringManager](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-100505-ghidra-versions-11-2-through-12-1-4-contain-a-heap-out-of-bounds)
- [Ghidra stack-based buffer overflow in decompiler leftshift128 function](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-100504-ghidra-versions-through-12-1-4-contain-a-stack-based-out-of)