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major vulnerability· requires attention

Affects the Linux kernel (core infrastructure) with CVSS 9.1; reboot risk across enterprises.

Systems

CVE-2026-43197

9.1
Critical
EPSS 0.48%Patch availableMay 8, 2026

Linux kernel netconsole OOB read via non-null-terminated msg.

common questions

Is CVE-2026-43197 being exploited?

Not confirmed. CVE-2026-43197 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 0.48% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How severe is CVE-2026-43197?

CVE-2026-43197 is rated Critical with a CVSS score of 9.1. 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-2026-43197?

Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-43197. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.

What does CVE-2026-43197 affect?

CVE-2026-43197 affects Linux kernel. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.

What should I do about CVE-2026-43197?

Update to patched kernel and reboot; disable netconsole if unused.

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

executive summary
technical analysis
affected
Linux kernel
impact

Local attacker could trigger an out-of-bounds read in netconsole, risking kernel memory corruption or crash.

action required

Patch when possible

affected versions
Linux Linux
  • affected>= c62c0a17f9b7398022f9eebe547878033264f81f and < 8fe132c4873f9eb1b86ddbf31216e9d961a0b8b9
  • affected>= c62c0a17f9b7398022f9eebe547878033264f81f and < 3126a2f98beaec5a554a1fb31c46db1e8542665e
  • affected>= c62c0a17f9b7398022f9eebe547878033264f81f and < 74ab1456eaa3b2eb986138f9e1f4cb37e73b6f58
  • affected>= c62c0a17f9b7398022f9eebe547878033264f81f and < 82aec772fca2223bc5774bd9af486fd95766e578
  • affected6.6
vendor says fixed in< 6.6, >= 6.12.103 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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