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CVE-2026-74269

9.8
Critical
EPSS 0.38%Patch availableAug 17, 2026

bnxt Linux driver head underflow leads to kernel memory corruption/double-free.

common questions

Is CVE-2026-74269 being exploited?

Not confirmed. CVE-2026-74269 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-2026-74269?

CVE-2026-74269 is rated Critical with a CVSS score of 9.8. 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-2026-74269?

Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-74269. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.

What does CVE-2026-74269 affect?

CVE-2026-74269 affects Linux kernel (bnxt driver), Servers with Broadcom/BNXT NICs, XDP-enabled configurations. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.

What should I do about CVE-2026-74269?

Apply kernel/driver updates, reboot affected hosts, and restrict untrusted traffic to impacted NICs.

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

executive summary
technical analysis
affected
Linux kernel (bnxt driver)Servers with Broadcom/BNXT NICsXDP-enabled configurations
impact

Network-triggered kernel memory corruption (use-after-free/double-free) via crafted packets/XDP; can cause DoS, kernel panic, or kernel-level code execution/privilege escalation.

action required

Patch when possible

affected versions
Linux Linux
  • affected>= f6974b4c2d8e1062b5a52228ee47293c15b4ee1e and < bb72b1c6755631c74b7e0878ee55bb81c06776c0
  • affected>= f6974b4c2d8e1062b5a52228ee47293c15b4ee1e and < e26657fe3b85c068b01f42bb0c602f242d643ba9
  • affectede9f11bfc03fb0d3c86f91b8ae945bb10f7e19c16
  • affectedae0e135dc900827687ecc684c2bbb57aae48d318
  • affected>= 6.1.45 and < 6.2
  • affected>= 6.4.10 and < 6.5
  • affected6.5
vendor says fixed in< 6.5, >= 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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