Critical NGINX Vulnerability Patched After 16 Years, Exploit Code Released
A critical vulnerability in the NGINX web server, identified as CVE-2026-42945, has been patched by F5 Networks. This vulnerability, which has existed since 2008, was addressed in the latest quarterly patch release. The flaw is a heap buffer overflow in the ngx_http_rewrite_module component, which could be exploited to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) condition or potentially allow remote code execution if Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) is disabled. The vulnerability affects NGINX servers using rewrite and set directives, and it involves a two-pass process in the script engine that can lead to buffer overflow. The exploit code for this vulnerability has been made publicly available, raising concerns about potential attacks on unpatched systems.