# CVE-2026-76988: liftoff-sr CIPster out-of-bounds read in ForwardOpen handler

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-76988-liftoff-sr-cipster-out-of-bounds-read-in-forwardopen-handler  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-08-20. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-76988 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5.3 · Published 2026-08-20

CIPster is an EtherNet/IP protocol stack used in industrial I/O adapter devices. A vulnerability in the ForwardOpen connection handler allows remote attackers to craft malicious network messages that trigger an out-of-bounds memory read, potentially leading to information disclosure or denial of service in industrial control systems relying on this stack.

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-76988 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-76988 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-76988?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 5.3, published 20 August 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** liftoff-sr CIPster up to commit 80040d1 (before ea870a274bf68dfaa3f511f20e2fff6778fb7b74).

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-76988?** 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-2026-76988 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-76988?** Check whether anything you run is named in the advisory. 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 an out-of-bounds read in the CipConnMgrClass::forward_open function within cipconnectionmanager.cc. The flaw is triggered by manipulation of the product_code_ argument, allowing an attacker to read memory outside intended buffer boundaries. The attack is network-accessible and requires no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can exploit this remotely to leak sensitive information from the affected device's memory or cause denial of service. A patch has been identified (commit ea870a274bf68dfaa3f511f20e2fff6778fb7b74) and should be applied to remediate the issue.

## Affected products

- liftoff-sr CIPster up to commit 80040d1 (before ea870a274bf68dfaa3f511f20e2fff6778fb7b74)

## Timeline

- 2026-08-20: disclosed: CVE-2026-76988 published on NVD

## References

- [https://github.com/liftoff-sr/CIPster/](https://github.com/liftoff-sr/CIPster/)
- [https://github.com/liftoff-sr/CIPster/commit/ea870a274bf68dfaa3f511f20e2fff6778fb7b74](https://github.com/liftoff-sr/CIPster/commit/ea870a274bf68dfaa3f511f20e2fff6778fb7b74)