CVE-2026-43101Network attack vector

Remote kernel crash via unchecked IPv6 device pointer

Published May 6, 2026 · Updated May 6, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in Linux Kernel IPv6 IOAM processing allows remote attackers to crash an IOAM-enabled node via network traffic. The __ioam6_fill_trace_data() path uses the result of __in6_dev_get() without first rejecting a NULL IPv6 device-state pointer, then reads fields through that pointer. The target must process IPv6 IOAM traffic with IOAM configured and encounter missing inet6_dev state; the bounded result is a kernel oops or panic that interrupts the node.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.43%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in Linux Kernel IPv6 IOAM processing allows remote attackers to crash an IOAM-enabled node via network traffic. The __ioam6_fill_trace_data() path uses the result of __in6_dev_get() without first rejecting a NULL IPv6 device-state pointer, then reads fields through that pointer. The target must process IPv6 IOAM traffic with IOAM configured and encounter missing inet6_dev state; the bounded result is a kernel oops or panic that interrupts the node.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-43101
Published
May 6, 2026
Updated
May 6, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 6, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 6, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=5.15
  2. Affected versionversion=9ee11f0fff205b4b3df9750bff5e94f97c71b6a0 <3719c234fa94c37c955b1ecd3742ef280ec135e6
  3. Affected versionversion=9ee11f0fff205b4b3df9750bff5e94f97c71b6a0 <4198aab6f000b4febb18ea820fea20634dd789c7
  4. Affected versionversion=9ee11f0fff205b4b3df9750bff5e94f97c71b6a0 <4e65a8b8daa18d63255ec58964dd192c7fdd9f8b

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=5.15; version=9ee11f0fff205b4b3df9750bff5e94f97c71b6a0 <3719c234fa94c37c955b1ecd3742ef280ec135e6; version=9ee11f0fff205b4b3df9750bff5e94f97c71b6a0 <4198aab6f000b4febb18ea820fea20634dd789c7; version=9ee11f0fff205b4b3df9750bff5e94f97c71b6a0 <4e65a8b8daa18d63255ec58964dd192c7fdd9f8b

Published CVSS scores

7.5kernel.orgCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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.

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No observations available

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

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

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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