Out-of-bounds WriteWeakness · CWE-787

CVE-2026-44049

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-05-21
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
An out-of-bounds write due to improper null termination in convert_charset() in Netatalk 2.0.4 through 4.4.2 allows a remote authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service via crafted character data.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

An out-of-bounds write vulnerability exists in Netatalk's convert_charset() function due to improper null termination. The flaw allows a remote authenticated attacker to send crafted character data that writes beyond buffer boundaries, potentially achieving arbitrary code execution or causing a denial of service.

MitigationUpgrade Netatalk to the latest version beyond 4.4.2 which contains the patched fix. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to AFP services and verify authentication mechanisms are properly configured.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
High
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm Netatalk is installed
    Run 'netatalk -V' or 'afpd -V' to display the version, or check for the presence of netatalk binaries in /usr/sbin/ (e.g., ls -la /usr/sbin/afpd)
    Affected if Netatalk is found and running on the system
  2. Identify the exact installed version
    Execute 'netatalk -V' and note the full version number (e.g., netatalk 3.1.12), or check the package manager: 'dpkg -l | grep netatalk' (Debian) or 'rpm -qa | grep netatalk' (RHEL)
    Affected if The version falls within 2.0.4 through 4.4.2 (inclusive)
  3. Verify the AFP service is accessible
    Check if the afpd daemon is running: 'ps aux | grep afpd' or check the configuration file /etc/netatalk/afp.conf for active shares and listening addresses
    Affected if afpd is running and bound to a network interface (not localhost-only)
  4. Confirm authentication is enabled
    Review /etc/netatalk/afp.conf for user authentication settings (look for 'auth required' or similar directives), and check if guest access or user accounts are configured
    Affected if Authentication is enabled allowing remote users to connect
  5. Check if charset conversion is in use
    Inspect /etc/netatalk/afp.conf or /etc/netatalk/AppleVolumes.default for charset-related parameters (e.g., 'maccodepage', 'vol codepage', 'unix charset' settings)
    Affected if Character set conversion settings are configured for shared volumes

The system is affected if Netatalk versions 2.0.4 through 4.4.2 are installed with the AFP service running and accessible over the network, enabling a remote authenticated attacker to exploit the convert_charset() function.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade Netatalk to the latest version beyond 4.4.2 which contains the patched fix. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to AFP services and verify authentication mechanisms are properly configured.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
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Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-44049 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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