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The Sleuth Kit through 4.15.0 NULL Pointer Dereference via decmpfs LZVN Decompression

6.8MediumCNA
Exploited
No known exploitation
Fix
No fix listed
Who is exposed
Specific setups only

Do first: Check whether your setup matches what the bug needs. The attacker supplies a crafted HFS+ image, which is reachable under the default build. The image contains a com.apple.decmpfs inline attribute of at least 17 bytes with compression_type 7. Affects The Sleuth Kit 4.15.0 and the default develop branch.

Published
Last modified
Published
Not listed in CISA KEV
17/100 · provisional
Specific setups only
None on Exploit-DB, Metasploit or GitHub

Summary

The Sleuth Kit through 4.15.0 contains a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in decmpfs_decompress_lzvn_attr() that allows attackers to crash the tool by supplying a crafted HFS+ image. Attackers can set a huge uncompressed_size in an LZVN inline com.apple.decmpfs attribute so allocation fails and the decoder writes through NULL, causing denial of service.

What to do

  • Check whether your setup matches what the bug needs.

    The attacker supplies a crafted HFS+ image, which is reachable under the default build. The image contains a com.apple.decmpfs inline attribute of at least 17 bytes with compression_type 7. Affects The Sleuth Kit 4.15.0 and the default develop branch.
  • Workaround: While no fix is available, avoid running the affected build on HFS+ images from untrusted sources. This limits exposure to the affected feature until a patched release exists.

Timeline

  1. CVE published
  2. First seen by cve.now

Affected versions

  • The Sleuth Kit The Sleuth Kit

    through 4.15.0

Evidence 5

  1. Report
  2. Repository
  3. Repository
  4. Link
  5. Link

Corrections

None so far.

Something wrong on this page? Report an error. Every fix is listed here.

FAQ

Questions about CVE-2026-120454

What does this mean?

A crafted disk image can make The Sleuth Kit dereference a NULL pointer while decompressing LZVN-compressed data in an HFS+ decmpfs attribute. The result is a crash, which is a denial of service.Source: github.com

Am I affected, and how do I check?

The Sleuth Kit 4.15.0 and earlier releases are listed as affected, as is the default develop branch. The issue needs an HFS+ image with a com.apple.decmpfs inline attribute of at least 17 bytes and compression_type 7. Check the installed version against 4.15.0 and whether the build comes from the develop branch.Source: github.com

What should I do about it?

The checked facts name no fixed release, so no upgrade target can be given. Check the project's advisory for a fixed version before changing builds.Source: github.com

Is it being exploited?

It is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and CISA's SSVC assessment does not mark exploitation as active. That does not mean it has not been attacked: vendors and researchers can report attacks before CISA lists them. No public exploit code is tracked.Source: cve.now feed data

What if there's no patch?

While no fix is available, avoid running the affected build on HFS+ images from untrusted sources. This limits exposure to the affected feature until a patched release exists.Source: github.com