# CVE-2026-75819: GNU Aspell out-of-bounds read in dictionary loading

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-75819-gnu-aspell-contains-an-out-of-bounds-read-vulnerability-in  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-10-06. Updated: 2026-10-06  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-75819 · Severity: info · Published 2026-10-06

GNU Aspell is a spell-checker used by applications and users to check document spelling. An out-of-bounds read vulnerability in dictionary file parsing allows an attacker to disclose heap memory contents or crash the application when a user loads a malicious dictionary file. This could be exploited through configuration files or command-line options.

Technologies: [Gnu Aspell](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/aspell). Vendors: [Gnu](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/gnu).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-75819 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-75819 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-75819?** Informational severity, published 6 October 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Gnu Aspell before 0.60.8.3.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-75819?** Yes: fixed in 0.60.8.3. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-75819 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-75819?** Check whether you run Gnu Aspell 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 0.60.8.3

## Technical details

The ReadOnlyDict::load() function in readonly_ws.cpp fails to validate offset fields from .rws dictionary file headers before using them as indices into a heap buffer, resulting in out-of-bounds read (CWE-125). An attacker can craft a malicious dictionary file and trigger the vulnerability when a user runs aspell with the file supplied via --master, --dict-dir, or configuration options. Exploitation enables heap memory disclosure or denial of service via application crash; a fix is available in version 0.60.8.3.

## Affected products

- GNU Aspell before 0.60.8.3

## Timeline

- 2026-10-06: disclosed
- 2026-10-06: patched: Fix available in commit 941953b25031bc9104e83f58e138a664b8dedc3f, released in version 0.60.8.3

## References

- [http://aspell.net/](http://aspell.net/)
- [https://cert.pl/en/posts/2026/10/CVE-2026-75818](https://cert.pl/en/posts/2026/10/CVE-2026-75818)

## Related threats

- [GNU Aspell heap buffer overflow in dictionary loader](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-103658-gnu-aspell-0-60-8-2-first-vulnerable-version-is-not-known)
- [GNU Aspell integer truncation in WritableDict::add()](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-75820-gnu-aspell-contains-an-integer-truncation-vulnerability-in-the)
- [GNU Aspell prezip-bin heap buffer overflow in decompressor](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-75818-gnu-aspell-prezip-bin-contains-a-heap-based-buffer-overflow)