Kernel panic via unbounded mailbox output allocation
Published Sep 17, 2026 · Updated Sep 17, 2026
Unbounded allocation in Linux CXL mailboxes allows local users to crash the kernel via an oversized output-size request. CXL_MEM_SEND_COMMAND leaves out.size unbounded, and cxl_mbox_cmd_ctor() passes it to kvzalloc() without limiting allocation to the mailbox payload size. Access to the CXL device ioctl is required; values above INT_MAX trigger a warning and kernel taint, with a kernel panic when panic_on_warn=1.
Summary
What happened
Unbounded allocation in Linux CXL mailboxes allows local users to crash the kernel via an oversized output-size request. CXL_MEM_SEND_COMMAND leaves out.size unbounded, and cxl_mbox_cmd_ctor() passes it to kvzalloc() without limiting allocation to the mailbox payload size. Access to the CXL device ioctl is required; values above INT_MAX trigger a warning and kernel taint, with a kernel panic when panic_on_warn=1.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-93186
- Published
- Sep 17, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 17, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- Unavailable
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
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- Affected versionversion=5.12
- Affected versionversion=583fa5e71caeb79e04e477e9837e2f7fa53b71e4 <31d4841eca7c4b75751ca96d24339e19303337f2
- Affected versionversion=583fa5e71caeb79e04e477e9837e2f7fa53b71e4 <8a13db9f899d149c3aab24abcb668121cfda5a4f
- Affected versionversion=583fa5e71caeb79e04e477e9837e2f7fa53b71e4 <b4e11c731d6bee3b87315e055a1ca417c92dc1fc
- Affected versionversion=583fa5e71caeb79e04e477e9837e2f7fa53b71e4 <f5d2bbf0300f46307948864fbb97bce5097f4fe2
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Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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