CVE-2026-33243

Boot-image replacement via unhashed verification metadata

Published Mar 20, 2026 · Updated Mar 20, 2026

Signature verification bypass in barebox 2016.03.0 through 2025.09.2 and 2025.10.0 through 2026.03.0 allows local users to boot unverified FIT images. The FIT verifier in common/image-fit.c treats the unhashed hashed-nodes property as authoritative, allowing that list and a referenced image to be replaced without invalidating the signature. Exploitation requires local or physical read/write access to FIT storage on a system using signed FIT; the payload inherits the original image's privileges and generally compromises the kernel.

CVSS severity8.2
High
EPSS probability0.11%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Signature verification bypass in barebox 2016.03.0 through 2025.09.2 and 2025.10.0 through 2026.03.0 allows local users to boot unverified FIT images. The FIT verifier in common/image-fit.c treats the unhashed hashed-nodes property as authoritative, allowing that list and a referenced image to be replaced without invalidating the signature. Exploitation requires local or physical read/write access to FIT storage on a system using signed FIT; the payload inherits the original image's privileges and generally compromises the kernel.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-33243
Published
Mar 20, 2026
Updated
Mar 20, 2026
Vendor
Pengutronix
Product
barebox
Classifications
CWE-345, T1542.003
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 20, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 20, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=>= 2016.03.0, < 2025.09.3
  2. Affected versionversion=>= 2025.10.0, < 2026.03.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Pengutronix · bareboxversion=>= 2016.03.0, < 2025.09.3; version=>= 2025.10.0, < 2026.03.1

Published CVSS scores

8.2GitHub, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-345Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity
T1542.003Bootkit

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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