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major vulnerability· requires attention

Kernel RCE risk; affects broad Linux deployments; foundational impact.

Infrastructure

CVE-2026-43139

8.6
High
EPSS 0.38%Patch availableMay 8, 2026

Linux kernel xfrm6: uninitialized saddr may cause RCE.

common questions

Is CVE-2026-43139 being exploited?

Not confirmed. CVE-2026-43139 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 0.38% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How severe is CVE-2026-43139?

CVE-2026-43139 is rated High with a CVSS score of 8.6. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.

Is there a patch for CVE-2026-43139?

Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-43139. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.

What does CVE-2026-43139 affect?

CVE-2026-43139 affects Linux kernel (xfrm6 related). Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.

What should I do about CVE-2026-43139?

Update kernel to patched release and reboot

Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.

executive summary
technical analysis
affected
Linux kernel (xfrm6 related)
impact

Remote code execution via IPsec/xfrm path due to uninitialized saddr in xfrm6_get_saddr().

action required

Patch when possible

affected versions
Linux Linux
  • affected>= a1e59abf824969554b90facd44a4ab16e265afa4 and < 4f28141786e1fe884ce42a5197ba9beed540f0ea
  • affected>= a1e59abf824969554b90facd44a4ab16e265afa4 and < 6535867673bf301d52aa00593a4d1d18cc3922fa
  • affected>= a1e59abf824969554b90facd44a4ab16e265afa4 and < eb2ee15290af14c60b45cf2b73f5687d1d077d9b
  • affected>= a1e59abf824969554b90facd44a4ab16e265afa4 and < 719918fc88df6da023dfff370cd965151a5afd7f
  • affected>= a1e59abf824969554b90facd44a4ab16e265afa4 and < dc0abce055134cb83b0d981d31ceb20dda419787
  • affected>= a1e59abf824969554b90facd44a4ab16e265afa4 and < c7221e7bd8fc2ef38a0b27be580d9d202281306b
  • affected>= a1e59abf824969554b90facd44a4ab16e265afa4 and < 3dcd1664ac15eee6a690daec7c4ffc59190406f7
  • affected>= a1e59abf824969554b90facd44a4ab16e265afa4 and < 1799d8abeabc68ec05679292aaf6cba93b343c05
  • affected2.6.19
vendor says fixed in< 2.6.19, >= 5.10.252 and <= 5.10.*, >= 5.15.202 and <= 5.15.*, >= 6.1.165 and <= 6.1.*, >= 6.6.128 and <= 6.6.*, >= 6.12.75 and <= 6.12.*, >= 6.18.16 and <= 6.18.*, >= 6.19.6 and <= 6.19.*, >= 7.0 and <= *

As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.

how to fix
Remediation steps are tailored for users whose stack is affected. Add this technology to your stack to see the fix checklist.
references
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