CVE-2026-54890 Details
Description
Integer Underflow (Wrap or Wraparound) vulnerability in erlang otp erlang/otp (erts modules), erlang otp erts (erts modules) allows Forced Integer Overflow, Excessive Allocation. This vulnerability is associated with program files erts/emulator/beam/external.c, emulator/beam/external.c. The BIT_BINARY_EXT tag (77) handler in the External Term Format (ETF) decoder accepts an encoding with both length and trailing-bits fields set to zero. The subsequent computation of the bitstring size underflows an unsigned integer, producing a value of roughly 2^64 that is then passed as a memory allocation size. The allocator aborts the entire node with a message such as "Cannot allocate 2305843009213693951 bytes of memory (of type binary)". The crash is a VM-level abort, not an Erlang-level exception. It cannot be intercepted by supervision trees, by try/catch, or by passing the [safe] option to binary_to_term/2 (which only restricts atom creation and does not perform structural validation of binary encodings). Any application that decodes ETF from untrusted sources via binary_to_term/1,2 or enif_binary_to_term() is exposed. The Erlang distribution protocol also decodes incoming terms through the same code path, but distribution is expected to run on trusted networks per the OTP Secure Coding Guidelines (DSG-011). This issue affects OTP from OTP 27.0 before OTP 29.0.4, OTP 28.5.0.4 and OTP 27.3.4.15, corresponding to erts from 15.0 before 17.0.4, 16.4.0.4 and 15.2.7.11.
An integer underflow vulnerability has been identified in the Erlang OTP erts modules, specifically in versions 27.0 prior to 29.0.4, 28.5.0.4, and 27.3.4.15. The vulnerability arises in the BIT_BINARY_EXT tag handler of the External Term Format (ETF) decoder, located in the file 'erts/emulator/beam/external.c'. The decoder accepts an encoding with both length and trailing-bits fields set to zero, which leads to an underflow of an unsigned integer. This underflow produces a value of approximately 2^64, which is then used as a memory allocation size. The resulting allocation request is excessive, causing the BEAM virtual machine to crash with a message indicating the failure to allocate a massive amount of memory. This crash is a VM-level abort that cannot be intercepted by Erlang's supervision trees or error handling mechanisms. Applications that decode ETF from untrusted sources using 'binary_to_term/1,2' or 'enif_binary_to_term()' are vulnerable. Additionally, the Erlang distribution protocol, which decodes incoming terms through the same vulnerable code path, is affected if run on untrusted networks.
Do not use 'binary_to_term/1,2' or 'enif_binary_to_term()' on data from untrusted sources. If distribution is exposed to untrusted networks, configure it to use TLS with client certificate verification. Consider using alternative serialization formats, such as JSON or Protocol Buffers, for untrusted external input.
Metrics
CVSS 4.0 Severity and Vector Strings:
CVSS 3.x Severity and Vector Strings:
No data available for CVSS Version 2.0 on this CVE.
CISA-ADP
Assessed Jul 27, 2026References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
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| URL | Source(s) | Tag(s) |
|---|---|---|
| https://cna.erlef.org/cves/CVE-2026-54890.html | EEF | PatchThird Party Advisory |
| https://github.com/erlang/otp/commit/dc1bf9344c0ce62717cf60866590cea0242780fd | EEF | Patch |
| https://github.com/erlang/otp/security/advisories/GHSA-54pw-5645-jh86 | EEF | Vendor Advisory |
| https://osv.dev/vulnerability/EEF-CVE-2026-54890 | EEF | PatchThird Party Advisory |
| https://www.erlang.org/doc/system/versions.html#order-of-versions | EEF | Release Notes |
Weakness Enumeration
| CWE-ID | CWE Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CWE-1284 | Improper Validation of Specified Quantity in Input | EEF |
| CWE-191 | Integer Underflow (Wrap or Wraparound) | EEF |
| CWE-789 | Memory Allocation with Excessive Size Value | EEF |
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
| erlang erlang/otp | >= 27.0, < 27.3.4.15 >= 28.0, < 28.5.0.4 >= 29.0, < 29.0.4 |
CPE
Remediation
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| erlang erts | >= 15.0, < 15.2.7.11 >= 16.0, < 16.4.0.4 >= 17.0, < 17.0.4 |
CPE
Remediation
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Change History
3 change records found show changes
| Date | Action | Recorded By |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 2026 | Initial Analysis | [email protected] |
| Jul 27, 2026 | CVE Modified | CISA-ADP |
| Jul 27, 2026 | New CVE Received | EEF |