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CVE-2026-72343

HIGH
High
EPSS 0.19%Patch availableAug 17, 2026

mlx5e driver zero-sized buffer bug can crash Linux kernel (DoS).

common questions

Is CVE-2026-72343 being exploited?

Not confirmed. CVE-2026-72343 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 0.19% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How severe is CVE-2026-72343?

CVE-2026-72343 is rated High. 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-2026-72343?

Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-72343. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.

What does CVE-2026-72343 affect?

CVE-2026-72343 affects Linux kernel (mlx5e driver), Mellanox/ConnectX NICs, Virtualized HV VHCA environments. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.

What should I do about CVE-2026-72343?

Install kernel patch that updates mlx5e driver and reboot affected hosts.

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

executive summary
technical analysis
affected
Linux kernel (mlx5e driver)Mellanox/ConnectX NICsVirtualized HV VHCA environments
impact

Kernel oops/denial of service via memset on ZERO_SIZE_PTR when hypervisor enables mlx5e VHCA stats; may crash hosts or guests.

action required

Patch when possible

affected versions
Linux Linux
  • affected>= fa691d0c9c0812b9045f3a9420862e47b3b92518 and < 3b3a552cf88e10bb7bda88b29cf1fd8267043d50
  • affected>= fa691d0c9c0812b9045f3a9420862e47b3b92518 and < 5b927dcec5f1087942bf123a82e64a3f66475f01
  • affected>= fa691d0c9c0812b9045f3a9420862e47b3b92518 and < 22c1d5ecccf92c849bdca1556179aafc95794baf
  • affected>= fa691d0c9c0812b9045f3a9420862e47b3b92518 and < 420aabb32da4381d8d7cdcaa6a77fad9eaceb0a4
  • affected>= fa691d0c9c0812b9045f3a9420862e47b3b92518 and < abc4c56427f144c96b2827a4db3b90eb5b7349a2
  • affected>= fa691d0c9c0812b9045f3a9420862e47b3b92518 and < 25f6b929c7e379cbea7cb8caa67b49b2d1efae17
  • affected5.17
vendor says fixed in< 5.17, >= 6.1.178 and <= 6.1.*, >= 6.6.145 and <= 6.6.*, >= 6.12.97 and <= 6.12.*, >= 6.18.40 and <= 6.18.*, >= 7.1.5 and <= 7.1.*, >= 7.2 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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