CVE-2026-43432

Local memory exhaustion via xHCI error paths

Published May 8, 2026 · Updated May 8, 2026

Memory leakage in Linux Kernel xHCI host-controller handling allows local users to exhaust memory through hardware-specific error paths. In xhci_disable_slot(), failure handling calls kfree() on a command allocated with an associated completion object, leaving that object allocated. Reachability requires low-privilege local access plus specific hardware conditions or abnormal controller state, and no reliable runtime trigger is public.

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

Memory leakage in Linux Kernel xHCI host-controller handling allows local users to exhaust memory through hardware-specific error paths. In xhci_disable_slot(), failure handling calls kfree() on a command allocated with an associated completion object, leaving that object allocated. Reachability requires low-privilege local access plus specific hardware conditions or abnormal controller state, and no reliable runtime trigger is public.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-43432
Published
May 8, 2026
Updated
May 8, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-401
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 8, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 8, 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=02d5a2a48bb44e7404b794df87e57588b2fd604e <6288baf0c8c4dcfbf206773aede9c1f2269cec28
  2. Affected versionversion=5.16
  3. Affected versionversion=7faac1953ed1f658f719cdf7bb7303fa5eef822c <078b446efc0f5e496c31bccb72b98af979963a83
  4. Affected versionversion=7faac1953ed1f658f719cdf7bb7303fa5eef822c <2e2baa8fb5aa4d080cbfeb84c51eff797529f413
  5. Affected versionversion=7faac1953ed1f658f719cdf7bb7303fa5eef822c <46aea90763832cd6e9b0c2e1c00e6a9512156d4b
  6. Affected versionversion=7faac1953ed1f658f719cdf7bb7303fa5eef822c <807e4fb5140c73eb5dba1e399a990db5c1f3cdf8
  7. Affected versionversion=7faac1953ed1f658f719cdf7bb7303fa5eef822c <c1c8550e70401159184130a1afc6261db01fc0ce
  8. Affected versionversion=7faac1953ed1f658f719cdf7bb7303fa5eef822c <c65f1b840ab8ce72ba68f1b63bab7960f8fdfa89
  9. Affected versionversion=cc7c2818c71ebace207df40cc586c8c74e3d1a59
  10. Affected versionversion=ec0cddcc2454ab08193beb473978f8f8889b7e24
  11. Affected versionversion=fee8be5bde562d4f5f9a100ca80c6d7072ed34c8 <1e800e26d54ccf2ddf2ea6d6cbe021c804d8aa62

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=02d5a2a48bb44e7404b794df87e57588b2fd604e <6288baf0c8c4dcfbf206773aede9c1f2269cec28; version=5.16; version=7faac1953ed1f658f719cdf7bb7303fa5eef822c <078b446efc0f5e496c31bccb72b98af979963a83; version=7faac1953ed1f658f719cdf7bb7303fa5eef822c <2e2baa8fb5aa4d080cbfeb84c51eff797529f413; version=7faac1953ed1f658f719cdf7bb7303fa5eef822c <46aea90763832cd6e9b0c2e1c00e6a9512156d4b; version=7faac1953ed1f658f719cdf7bb7303fa5eef822c <807e4fb5140c73eb5dba1e399a990db5c1f3cdf8; version=7faac1953ed1f658f719cdf7bb7303fa5eef822c <c1c8550e70401159184130a1afc6261db01fc0ce; version=7faac1953ed1f658f719cdf7bb7303fa5eef822c <c65f1b840ab8ce72ba68f1b63bab7960f8fdfa89; version=cc7c2818c71ebace207df40cc586c8c74e3d1a59; version=ec0cddcc2454ab08193beb473978f8f8889b7e24; version=fee8be5bde562d4f5f9a100ca80c6d7072ed34c8 <1e800e26d54ccf2ddf2ea6d6cbe021c804d8aa62

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

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-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime

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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