CVE-2026-56740 — JLine: Unauthenticated Remote Memory Exhaustion via Unbounded Telnet NEW-ENVIRON Variables
JLine is a Java library for handling console input. Prior to 3.30.14, 4.0.16, and 4.2.1, the JLine3 Telnet server remote-telnet module does not limit the number of environment variables a client may inject via the Telnet NEW-ENVIRON option, and TelnetIO.readNEVariables() in TelnetIO.java:1127-1180 stores each variable pair in a HashMap held by ConnectionData, allowing an unauthenticated attacker to flood unique variable pairs before the terminating IAC SE byte and exhaust JVM heap memory with an OutOfMemoryError. This issue is fixed in versions 3.30.14, 4.0.16, and 4.2.1.
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
- Technical severity (high)+6
- CISA SSVC: exploitation "poc"+5
- 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.
- Documented patch — github.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — github.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — github.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
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 (Jline Jline, Jline Jline3).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (denial of service), 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.
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).
- Track CPU/memory spikes and availability drops correlated with request patterns.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · jline/jline3
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Fix documented
- CVSS changed · 7.5
- Source status changed · → Analyzed
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
References
9 on the record
- github.com/jline/jline3/security/advisories/GHSA-47qp-hqvx-6r3f
- github.com/jline/jline3/commit/4ee3a73849ffb9a85ec748e4e8cd8f6d81f84f40
- github.com/jline/jline3/commit/934f09e6128cee33c2b13d42b6e859c1ee2d194b
- github.com/jline/jline3/commit/0389f0ee6d0375901b602671ad5dafd4d1d4ee09
- github.com/jline/jline3/releases/tag/jline-3.30.14
- github.com/jline/jline3/releases/tag/4.2.1
- github.com/jline/jline3/pull/2000
- github.com/jline/jline3/pull/2001
- github.com/jline/jline3/releases/tag/4.0.16
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- High CVE-2026-77423 JLine: ReDoS in Built-in Less Viewer Search 22d
- Medium CVE-2026-77420 JLine: ReDoS via `HISTORY_IGNORE` Configuration Variable 22d
- Medium CVE-2026-77421 JLine: ReDoS in Nano Editor Regex Search Mode 22d
- High CVE-2026-77422 JLine: ReDoS in Built-in grep Command Amplified by Automatic `.*` Wrapping 22d
- High CVE-2026-56741 JLine: Unauthenticated Remote DoS via Unbounded Telnet NAWS Terminal Geometry Jul 17, 2026
- Medium CVE-2023-50572 Out-of-bounds Write in Jline Dec 29, 2023
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 FIRST EPSS score.
- 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-2026-56740 is "JLine: Unauthenticated Remote Memory Exhaustion via Unbounded Telnet NEW-ENVIRON Variables", rated High. It affects Jline (Jline); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.5 describes technical severity. 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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