CVE-2026-107838 — RIOT: nanocoap_fileserver ignores response initialization failure, leading to reachable assertion
RIOT is an open-source microcontroller operating system designed for Internet of Things devices and other embedded systems. From version 2023.07 through version 2026.07, nanocoap_fileserver callers in sys/net/application_layer/nanocoap/fileserver.c ignore a failure returned by _resp_init() when coap_build_reply() cannot fit a response header into the response buffer. A remote client can send a CoAP request with a sufficiently large extended token when nanocoap_token_ext is enabled, causing response initialization to fail while _get_file() or _get_directory() continues with stale response state. The path then reaches _calc_szx2() and its pdu->payload_len > reserve assertion, terminating the affected service or device task. No fixed release is available as of this review.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.3% (30-day exploitation probability)+4
- Technical severity (high)+6
- Automatable exploitation (SSVC)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Riot-os Riot).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (logic error), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 3.9 | 3.6 | security-advisories@github.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | GitHub_M via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: security-advisories@github.com) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 15, 2026 · 3 reading(s) · max 0.34%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · riot-os/riot
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 7.5
- Source status changed · → Received
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
3 on the record
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- High CVE-2026-107837 RIOT: Out-of-Bounds Read in RIOT OS 6LoWPAN SFF Fragment Handling 6d
- High CVE-2026-107836 RIOT: nanoCoAP Block2 client slice handling underflows on inconsistent server-controlled block size 6d
- Critical CVE-2026-27703 RIOT has an Out-of-Bounds Write in nanoCoAP Handler Mar 11, 2026
- Critical CVE-2026-25139 RIOT OS: out-of-bounds read in the 6LoWPAN stack (CVE-2026-25139) Feb 4, 2026
- Critical CVE-2026-22213 RIOT OS <= 2026.01-devel-317 Stack-Based Buffer Overflow in tapslip6 Utility Jan 12, 2026
- Critical CVE-2026-22214 RIOT OS <= 2026.01-devel-317 Stack-Based Buffer Overflow in ethos Serial Frame Parser Jan 12, 2026
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-107838 is "RIOT: nanocoap_fileserver ignores response initialization failure, leading to reachable assertion", rated High. It affects Riot (Riot-os); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.34% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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