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CVE-2026-43291

8.3
High
EPSS 0.27%Patch availableMay 11, 2026

Kernel NFC/NCI packet validation flaw may access uninitialized data.

common questions

Is CVE-2026-43291 being exploited?

Not confirmed. CVE-2026-43291 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 0.27% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How severe is CVE-2026-43291?

CVE-2026-43291 is rated High with a CVSS score of 8.3. 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-2026-43291?

Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-43291. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.

What does CVE-2026-43291 affect?

CVE-2026-43291 affects Linux kernel, NFC/NCI subsystem. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.

What should I do about CVE-2026-43291?

Update to patched kernel; reboot to apply fix.

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

executive summary
technical analysis
affected
Linux kernelNFC/NCI subsystem
impact

Local kernel data access in NFC/NCI path could cause memory corruption or crash.

action required

Patch when possible

affected versions
Linux Linux
  • affected>= 8fcc7315a10a84264e55bb65ede10f0af20a983f and < a24a8a582da4426b2042e510a1080df84083b51d
  • affected>= bfdda0123dde406dbff62e7e9136037e97998a15 and < f5218426f765eee22e178df9c126d974792fb6a5
  • affected>= 0ba68bea1e356f466ad29449938bea12f5f3711f and < ad058a4317db7fdb3f09caa6ed536d24a62ce6a0
  • affected>= 74837bca0748763a77f77db47a0bdbe63b347628 and < 3b91160e9a91b5a2662875417dc42dc5b0bf03ea
  • affected>= 9c328f54741bd5465ca1dc717c84c04242fac2e1 and < c692db813a7e3b7c3c17d6e9a3ad2a018bf1142b
  • affected>= 9c328f54741bd5465ca1dc717c84c04242fac2e1 and < 498fc5d0d650c77e87fcc73808d4f43240c21805
  • affected>= 9c328f54741bd5465ca1dc717c84c04242fac2e1 and < 571dcbeb8e635182bb825ae758399831805693c2
  • affectedc395d1e548cc68e84584ffa2e3ca9796a78bf7b9
  • affected>= 5.15.195 and < 5.15.202
  • affected>= 6.1.156 and < 6.1.165
  • affected>= 6.6.112 and < 6.6.128
  • affected>= 6.12.53 and < 6.12.75
  • affected>= 6.17.3 and < 6.18
  • affected6.18
vendor says fixed in< 6.18, >= 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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