Description
regex.c in GNU ed before 1.14.1 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a malformed command, which triggers an invalid free.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 12 SP5 | ed | 1.9-4.4.5 | SUSE-SU-2020:1608-1 |
| SLES 12 SP4 | ed | 1.9-4.4.5 | SUSE-SU-2020:1608-1 |
| SLES 11 SP4 | ed | 0.2-1001.30.3.4 | SUSE-SU-2019:14005-1 |
Show 3 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES for SAP 12 SP5 | ed | 1.9-4.4.5 | SUSE-SU-2020:1608-1 |
| SLES for SAP 12 SP4 | ed | 1.9-4.4.5 | SUSE-SU-2020:1608-1 |
| SLES for SAP 11 SP4 | ed | 0.2-1001.30.3.4 | SUSE-SU-2019:14005-1 |
Advisories 2
- SUSE-SU-2019:14005-1 Security update for ed SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2020:1608-1 Security update for ed SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
References
- [oss-security] 20170112 invalid free in GNU ed before 1.14.1 mailing-list
- [oss-security] 20170112 Re: invalid free in GNU ed before 1.14.1 mailing-list
- [Bug-ed] 20170108 invalid free on malformed commands mailing-list
- FEDORA-2017-f87674ad41 vendor-advisory
- 95422 vdb-entry
- [oss-security] 20170112 Re: invalid free in GNU ed before 1.14.1 mailing-list
- [oss-security] 20170112 Re: invalid free in GNU ed before 1.14.1 mailing-list