Description
socat versions 1.8.0.0 through 1.8.1.1 contain a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability that allows a malicious SOCKS5 proxy server to overwrite adjacent heap memory by exploiting a sign-extension flaw in the DOMAINNAME reply parser. During connection setup, the domain name length byte is read through a signed char field causing a negative bytes_to_read value that is implicitly converted to size_t, resulting in an unbounded heap write into the 262-byte reply buffer with attacker-controlled size and content.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| socat | socat | 1.8.0.0 – < 1.8.1.2 | 1.8.1.2 |
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.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | socat | 1.8.1.3-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | socat | 1.8.0.3-1+deb13u1 | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | socat | 1.8.1.1-1ubuntu0.1 | USN-8511-1 |
| Ubuntu 25.10 | socat | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | socat | 1.8.0.0-4ubuntu0.1 | USN-8511-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | socat | 1.8.1.3-1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2026:11151-1 |
Alpine
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine v3.24 | socat | 1.8.1.2-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.23 | socat | 1.8.1.2-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.22 | socat | 1.8.1.2-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.21 | socat | 1.8.1.2-r0 | — |
Advisories 2
- USN-8511-1 socat vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Jul 6, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2026:11151-1 socat-1.8.1.3-1.1 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Jun 30, 2026
References
- http://www.dest-unreach.org/socat/CHANGES release-notes patch
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/socat-heap-buffer-overflow-via-socks5-reply-parser third-party-advisory