kaleth4/cve-2026-7482Technical analysis and educational documentation of CVE-2026-7482, a critical heap buffer over-read in Ollama's GGUF loader, including exploitation chain, impact, and mitigation strategies.
CVE-2026-7482 identifies a critical heap buffer over-read vulnerability in the /api/create and /api/push endpoints of Ollama, an open-source framework for running local language models.
This vulnerability allows a remote, unauthenticated attacker to leak process memory, exposing sensitive data such as:
🔴 Impact: Total process memory disclosure, with the potential to exfiltrate critical organizational information.
Manipulation of malicious GGUF files
Vulnerability in the WriteTo() function
fs/ggml/gguf.goserver/quantization.goData exfiltration
/api/push (upload to an attacker-controlled registry).| Step | Attacker Action | Endpoint | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uploads a malicious GGUF file | /api/create | Triggers the vulnerability |
| 2 | Executes quantization | /api/create | Leaks heap memory |
| 3 | Retrieves the leaked data | /api/push | Exfiltrates data to an external server |
💡 Impact example: "An attacker can learn practically anything about the organization: API keys, proprietary code, client contracts, and more." — Dor Attias, Cyera researcher
[!CAUTION] The affected endpoints do not require authentication by default in upstream distributions.
| Measure | Description | Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Restrict network access | Avoid exposing Ollama to the Internet | Configure OLLAMA_HOST=127.0.0.1 |
| Update to the latest version | Patch the vulnerability | Check GitHub Ollama |
| Implement authentication | Reverse proxy with authentication | Use Nginx/Apache with basic authentication |
| Audit exposed instances | Identify vulnerable servers | Scan with tools like nmap or shodan |
# Run Ollama only on localhost
OLLAMA_HOST=127.0.0.1 ollama serve
# Use a reverse proxy with authentication
server {
listen 443 ssl;
server_name ollama.example.com;
location / {
auth_basic "Restricted Access";
auth_basic_user_file /etc/nginx/.htpasswd;
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:11434;
}
}
⚠️ This repository is for educational and informational purposes only. Exploiting this vulnerability may violate cybersecurity laws and terms of service. Do not use this knowledge for malicious purposes.
🔒 Keep your systems updated and protected!