CVE-2026-43260

Receive-side scaling loss via leaked firmware VNICs

Published May 6, 2026 · Updated May 6, 2026

Resource-management error in affected Linux kernels allows local users to disrupt network receive-side scaling through interface lifecycle operations. The bnxt_en RSS-context deletion path skips firmware VNIC cleanup while the interface is down, leaking VNICs across close and reopen cycles. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and active RSS contexts; a later reopen can exhaust unreserved firmware VNICs and drop active RSS contexts.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.14%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Resource-management error in affected Linux kernels allows local users to disrupt network receive-side scaling through interface lifecycle operations. The bnxt_en RSS-context deletion path skips firmware VNIC cleanup while the interface is down, leaking VNICs across close and reopen cycles. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and active RSS contexts; a later reopen can exhaust unreserved firmware VNICs and drop active RSS contexts.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-43260
Published
May 6, 2026
Updated
May 6, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-415, T1499
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=6.11
  2. Affected versionversion=667ac333dbb7e265b3f5bc4bc94e236f64682c86 <079986d6db1f8e3d50c55f400cf998ac9690d2c8
  3. Affected versionversion=667ac333dbb7e265b3f5bc4bc94e236f64682c86 <348a5f8d06c7bdf954e13c17ad5f80b59a075604
  4. Affected versionversion=667ac333dbb7e265b3f5bc4bc94e236f64682c86 <9a9b89eea4a9cc7726702946ff688d716962fabd
  5. Affected versionversion=667ac333dbb7e265b3f5bc4bc94e236f64682c86 <e123d9302d223767bd910bfbcfe607bae909f8ac

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=6.11; version=667ac333dbb7e265b3f5bc4bc94e236f64682c86 <079986d6db1f8e3d50c55f400cf998ac9690d2c8; version=667ac333dbb7e265b3f5bc4bc94e236f64682c86 <348a5f8d06c7bdf954e13c17ad5f80b59a075604; version=667ac333dbb7e265b3f5bc4bc94e236f64682c86 <9a9b89eea4a9cc7726702946ff688d716962fabd; version=667ac333dbb7e265b3f5bc4bc94e236f64682c86 <e123d9302d223767bd910bfbcfe607bae909f8ac

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/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.

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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-415Double Free
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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