CVE-2026-43173

Local process crash via unsupported PTP query

Published May 6, 2026 · Updated May 6, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel XScale Ethernet driver allows local users to crash a process via a PTP timestamp query. The ixp4xx_get_ts_info() path calls ixp46x_ptp_find() unconditionally on IXP4xx systems even though PTP support exists only on IXP46x, causing an invalid read. Reachability requires local access to an affected IXP4xx system and a timestamp-information ioctl; the observed result is a kernel splat and segmentation fault in the requesting process.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.12%
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 the Linux kernel XScale Ethernet driver allows local users to crash a process via a PTP timestamp query. The ixp4xx_get_ts_info() path calls ixp46x_ptp_find() unconditionally on IXP4xx systems even though PTP support exists only on IXP46x, causing an invalid read. Reachability requires local access to an affected IXP4xx system and a timestamp-information ioctl; the observed result is a kernel splat and segmentation fault in the requesting process.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-43173
Published
May 6, 2026
Updated
May 6, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

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

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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=5.15
  2. Affected versionversion=9055a2f591629b952910503e72ddae1371c44bf1 <144dde3146985b25fa84d4e4b7c3d11e0f5fc5a4
  3. Affected versionversion=9055a2f591629b952910503e72ddae1371c44bf1 <21d1e80d0d6e7d0c3cd8b1e001ed1fa92fb9f3f5
  4. Affected versionversion=9055a2f591629b952910503e72ddae1371c44bf1 <2d74412dfd3621552a394d55cc3dd26a7cbf608e
  5. Affected versionversion=9055a2f591629b952910503e72ddae1371c44bf1 <322437972f0a712767f6920ad34aba25f2e9b942
  6. Affected versionversion=9055a2f591629b952910503e72ddae1371c44bf1 <5195b10c34b8993194ad12ad7d8f54d861be084b
  7. Affected versionversion=9055a2f591629b952910503e72ddae1371c44bf1 <594163ea88a03bdb412063af50fc7177ef3cbeae
  8. Affected versionversion=9055a2f591629b952910503e72ddae1371c44bf1 <cbecebd35909f6cd0f6fb773f0fb73da99e02f8c

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=5.15; version=9055a2f591629b952910503e72ddae1371c44bf1 <144dde3146985b25fa84d4e4b7c3d11e0f5fc5a4; version=9055a2f591629b952910503e72ddae1371c44bf1 <21d1e80d0d6e7d0c3cd8b1e001ed1fa92fb9f3f5; version=9055a2f591629b952910503e72ddae1371c44bf1 <2d74412dfd3621552a394d55cc3dd26a7cbf608e; version=9055a2f591629b952910503e72ddae1371c44bf1 <322437972f0a712767f6920ad34aba25f2e9b942; version=9055a2f591629b952910503e72ddae1371c44bf1 <5195b10c34b8993194ad12ad7d8f54d861be084b; version=9055a2f591629b952910503e72ddae1371c44bf1 <594163ea88a03bdb412063af50fc7177ef3cbeae; version=9055a2f591629b952910503e72ddae1371c44bf1 <cbecebd35909f6cd0f6fb773f0fb73da99e02f8c

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

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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)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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