Uninitialized reads via unchecked NFC response lengths
Published Sep 17, 2026 · Updated Sep 17, 2026
Linux NFC NCI parsing allows attackers to trigger uninitialized kernel memory reads via malformed CORE_INIT_RSP packets. In net/nfc/nci/rsp.c, nci_core_init_rsp_packet_v1() and nci_core_init_rsp_packet_v2() trust declared interface counts without checking the supplied buffer length. Triggering requires delivery of a malformed controller response, including through virtual_ncidev; upstream reports a KMSAN warning, not demonstrated data disclosure.
Summary
What happened
Linux NFC NCI parsing allows attackers to trigger uninitialized kernel memory reads via malformed CORE_INIT_RSP packets. In net/nfc/nci/rsp.c, nci_core_init_rsp_packet_v1() and nci_core_init_rsp_packet_v2() trust declared interface counts without checking the supplied buffer length. Triggering requires delivery of a malformed controller response, including through virtual_ncidev; upstream reports a KMSAN warning, not demonstrated data disclosure.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-90221
- Published
- Sep 17, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 17, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 17, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 17, 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?
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- Affected versionversion=5.11
- Affected versionversion=bcd684aace34fedbd473fbd9b21ed06b0c2d2212 <2f434478771a4ebdd535033561c0590bcde39753
- Affected versionversion=bcd684aace34fedbd473fbd9b21ed06b0c2d2212 <4f0483bbcdaccc9d4aee30df7351863334cecfa7
- Affected versionversion=bcd684aace34fedbd473fbd9b21ed06b0c2d2212 <5487f04c1ccbfa15aa6e531eb1ec9c9ec9c7bf31
- Affected versionversion=bcd684aace34fedbd473fbd9b21ed06b0c2d2212 <7d44b897bff84edcd4814899314d661ad4956a8e
- Affected versionversion=bcd684aace34fedbd473fbd9b21ed06b0c2d2212 <baed3fdf6ed2195c56f25ae18a086b938dcd3983
- Affected versionversion=bcd684aace34fedbd473fbd9b21ed06b0c2d2212 <bbe68e8249e2c76d65adfd9224fa95f1ca0fbe4e
- Affected versionversion=bcd684aace34fedbd473fbd9b21ed06b0c2d2212 <d56575a2595ee1f597f39e8a1cfb67ed3501678d
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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Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
No sourced classifications are available.
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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