libcurl versions from 7.36.0 to before 7.64.0 are vulnerable to a stack-based buffer overflow. The function creating an outgoing NTLM type-3 header (lib/vauth/ntlm.c:Curl_auth_create_ntlm_type3_message()), generates the request HTTP header contents based on previously received data. The check that exists to prevent the local buffer from getting overflowed is implemented wrongly (using unsigned math) and as such it does not prevent the overflow from happening. This output data can grow larger than the local buffer if very large 'nt response' data is extracted from a previous NTLMv2 header provided by the malicious or broken HTTP server. Such a 'large value' needs to be around 1000 bytes or more. The actual payload data copied to the target buffer comes from the NTLMv2 type-2 response header.
| Software | From | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| haxx / libcurl | 7.36.0 | 7.64.0 |
| canonical / ubuntu_linux | 16.04 | 16.04.x |
| canonical / ubuntu_linux | 14.04 | 14.04.x |
| canonical / ubuntu_linux | 18.04 | 18.04.x |
| canonical / ubuntu_linux | 18.10 | 18.10.x |
| debian / debian_linux | 9.0 | 9.0.x |
| netapp / active_iq_unified_manager | 7.3 | 7.3.x |
| netapp / active_iq_unified_manager | 9.5 | 9.5.x |
| netapp / clustered_data_ontap | - | - |
| siemens / sinema_remote_connect_client | - | 2.0.x |
| oracle / http_server | 12.2.1.3.0 | 12.2.1.3.0.x |
| oracle / enterprise_manager_ops_center | 12.3.3 | 12.3.3.x |
| oracle / secure_global_desktop | 5.4 | 5.4.x |
| oracle / communications_operations_monitor | 3.4 | 3.4.x |
| oracle / communications_operations_monitor | 4.0 | 4.0.x |
| oracle / enterprise_manager_ops_center | 12.4.0 | 12.4.0.x |
| oracle / services_tools_bundle | 19.2 | 19.2.x |
| oracle / mysql_server | - | 5.7.26.x |
| oracle / mysql_server | 5.7.27 | 8.0.15.x |
| redhat / enterprise_linux | 8.0 | 8.0.x |
A security vulnerability is a weakness in software, hardware, or configuration that can be exploited to compromise confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Many vulnerabilities are tracked as CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), which provide a standardized identifier so teams can coordinate patching, mitigation, and risk assessment across tools and vendors.
CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) estimates technical severity, but it doesn't automatically equal business risk. Prioritize using context like internet exposure, affected asset criticality, known exploitation (proof-of-concept or in-the-wild), and whether compensating controls exist. A "Medium" CVSS on an exposed, production system can be more urgent than a "Critical" on an isolated, non-production host.
A vulnerability is the underlying weakness. An exploit is the method or code used to take advantage of it. A zero-day is a vulnerability that is unknown to the vendor or has no publicly available fix when attackers begin using it. In practice, risk increases sharply when exploitation becomes reliable or widespread.
Recurring findings usually come from incomplete Asset Discovery, inconsistent patch management, inherited images, and configuration drift. In modern environments, you also need to watch the software supply chain: dependencies, containers, build pipelines, and third-party services can reintroduce the same weakness even after you patch a single host. Unknown or unmanaged assets (often called Shadow IT) are a common reason the same issues resurface.
Use a simple, repeatable triage model: focus first on externally exposed assets, high-value systems (identity, VPN, email, production), vulnerabilities with known exploits, and issues that enable remote code execution or privilege escalation. Then enforce patch SLAs and track progress using consistent metrics so remediation is steady, not reactive.
SynScan combines attack surface monitoring and continuous security auditing to keep your inventory current, flag high-impact vulnerabilities early, and help you turn raw findings into a practical remediation plan.