# CVE-2026-81880: radare2 PEF loader denial of service

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-81880-radare2-is-a-unix-like-reverse-engineering-framework-and-command  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-09-22. Updated: 2026-09-26  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-81880 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5.5 · Published 2026-09-22

radare2 is a reverse engineering framework that analyzes binary files. A crafted Apple PEF (Preferred Executable Format) binary can trigger unbounded relocation processing, causing the application to consume excessive CPU and hang for extended periods. An attacker can deliver such a malicious file to a security analyst or researcher, disrupting their work and potentially denying access to legitimate analysis.

Technologies: [Radare2](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/radare2). Vendors: [Radare](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/radare).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-81880 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-81880 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-81880?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 5.5, published 22 September 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Radare2 before 6.2.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-81880?** A patch was published on 2026-08-07. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-81880 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-81880?** Check whether you run Radare2 or Radare2 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 PEF loader accepts unbounded relocSecCount values without validating them against the actual number of file sections or relocation records, allowing up to 268 million iterations. A crafted PEF file triggers this vulnerability during normal binary-format auto-detection, causing the loader to perform excessive buffer operations and relocation processing. The vulnerability is fixed in version 6.2.0 by adding bounds checking, overflow validation, and lazy decoding of relocation metadata.

## Affected products

- radare2 radare2 before 6.2.0

## Timeline

- 2026-09-22: disclosed
- 2026-08-07: patched

## References

- [https://github.com/radareorg/radare2/commit/87c780e29ee6251cebaab51585d14482cb7740ac](https://github.com/radareorg/radare2/commit/87c780e29ee6251cebaab51585d14482cb7740ac)
- [https://github.com/radareorg/radare2/releases/tag/6.2.0](https://github.com/radareorg/radare2/releases/tag/6.2.0)

## Related threats

- [radare2 command execution via crafted binary format](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-108387-radare2-is-a-unix-like-reverse-engineering-framework-and-command)
- [radare2 infinite loop in NE relocation parser](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-81885-radare2-is-a-unix-like-reverse-engineering-framework-and-command)
- [radare2 is a UNIX-like reverse engineering framework and command-line toolset. Prior to 6.2.0, radare2's binary…](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-81882-radare2-is-a-unix-like-reverse-engineering-framework-and-command)
- [radare2 is a UNIX-like reverse engineering framework and command-line toolset. Prior to 6.2.0, radare2's Mach-O Swift…](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-81881-radare2-is-a-unix-like-reverse-engineering-framework-and-command)
- [radare2 heap out-of-bounds read in ELF PN_XNUM handling](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-81879-radare2-is-a-unix-like-reverse-engineering-framework-and-command)