Remote kernel crash via H.323 length over-read
Published May 6, 2026 · Updated May 6, 2026
Out-of-bounds read in the H.323 conntrack helper in Linux Kernel allows remote attackers to crash the kernel via crafted Q.931 traffic. In decode_choice(), a boundary check passes the zero-initialized len value before get_len() dereferences one or two bytes beyond a fully consumed PER buffer. Exploitation requires the nf_conntrack_h323 helper to be active; the read is limited to two bytes, with no reported write or code execution.
Summary
What happened
Out-of-bounds read in the H.323 conntrack helper in Linux Kernel allows remote attackers to crash the kernel via crafted Q.931 traffic. In decode_choice(), a boundary check passes the zero-initialized len value before get_len() dereferences one or two bytes beyond a fully consumed PER buffer. Exploitation requires the nf_conntrack_h323 helper to be active; the read is limited to two bytes, with no reported write or code execution.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-43233
- Published
- May 6, 2026
- Updated
- May 6, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- CWE-125, T1499
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 6, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- 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.
- Affected versionversion=4.15
- Affected versionversion=ec8a8f3c31ddef0a7d9626c4b8a4baa30f3b80aa <2a3aac4205e7d2f1aca2e3827de8cdd517d36c4a
- Affected versionversion=ec8a8f3c31ddef0a7d9626c4b8a4baa30f3b80aa <35f1943d242e1b9f0b6e91c0c93bfb293a9f8224
- Affected versionversion=ec8a8f3c31ddef0a7d9626c4b8a4baa30f3b80aa <53d32735d77ab56cc3fc7bd53a7d099418f19be1
- Affected versionversion=ec8a8f3c31ddef0a7d9626c4b8a4baa30f3b80aa <7ef82863d42261817a6394c6c881bd6757a70f16
- Affected versionversion=ec8a8f3c31ddef0a7d9626c4b8a4baa30f3b80aa <81f2fc5b0d0cf4696146f00f837596d10b92dead
- Affected versionversion=ec8a8f3c31ddef0a7d9626c4b8a4baa30f3b80aa <baed0d9ba91d4f390da12d5039128ee897253d60
- Affected versionversion=ec8a8f3c31ddef0a7d9626c4b8a4baa30f3b80aa <bcb50aa0b8f2b74a9fe5a1c7bee6f2657a288041
- Affected versionversion=ec8a8f3c31ddef0a7d9626c4b8a4baa30f3b80aa <f0a83d0a4b7c127d32ac06d607a9214937716129
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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