CVE-2026-43278

Local kernel memory corruption via stale cloned-bio pointer

Published May 6, 2026 · Updated May 6, 2026

Double-free in the Linux Kernel device-mapper request path allows local users to corrupt kernel memory during clone teardown. When blk_complete_request frees every cloned bio, drivers/md/dm-rq.c leaves rq->bio pointing to released memory, causing blk_rq_unprep_clone to free the bios again. The demonstrated path requires low-privileged local access and a request-based device-mapper target, such as dm-multipath over PCIe NVMe; the repeated frees corrupt kernel allocator state and interrupt service.

CVSS severity7.8
High
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

Double-free in the Linux Kernel device-mapper request path allows local users to corrupt kernel memory during clone teardown. When blk_complete_request frees every cloned bio, drivers/md/dm-rq.c leaves rq->bio pointing to released memory, causing blk_rq_unprep_clone to free the bios again. The demonstrated path requires low-privileged local access and a request-based device-mapper target, such as dm-multipath over PCIe NVMe; the repeated frees corrupt kernel allocator state and interrupt service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-43278
Published
May 6, 2026
Updated
May 6, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-415, T1068
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=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <3d746b639be4b4f5cd8ce2b06aa52dc443f50edc
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <7daf279c674d515fb22a727a7bbc92aeb35c5442
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <83d72091804600ead96dc9e9f518ea56cb4942f6
  4. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <8d9ddad561136f7e6a9346767bf97b4d79e38e67
  5. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <9a95b98202113045bc1a5bcb30388a500f25e050
  6. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <b1c1a2637ebd675aa2d71fee8c70da8791d73850
  7. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <e2e738e8dfbbf83bd2bae0467ec4420cc52da42a
  8. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <fb8a6c18fb9a6561f7a15b58b272442b77a242dd

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <3d746b639be4b4f5cd8ce2b06aa52dc443f50edc; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <7daf279c674d515fb22a727a7bbc92aeb35c5442; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <83d72091804600ead96dc9e9f518ea56cb4942f6; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <8d9ddad561136f7e6a9346767bf97b4d79e38e67; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <9a95b98202113045bc1a5bcb30388a500f25e050; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <b1c1a2637ebd675aa2d71fee8c70da8791d73850; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <e2e738e8dfbbf83bd2bae0467ec4420cc52da42a; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <fb8a6c18fb9a6561f7a15b58b272442b77a242dd

Published CVSS scores

7.8kernel.orgCVSS: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
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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