HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2026-43071
CRITICAL

CVE-2026-43071

Published: May 5, 2026· Updated: May 8, 2026

9.1
CVSS v3.1
EPSS:0.02%probability of exploitation in 30 daysPercentile:6.8th

Official Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

dcache: Limit the minimal number of bucket to two

There is an OOB read problem on dentry_hashtable when user sets

'dhash_entries=1':

BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: ffff888b30b774b0

#PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode

#PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page

Oops: Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP PTI

RIP: 0010:__d_lookup+0x56/0x120

Call Trace:

d_lookup.cold+0x16/0x5d

lookup_dcache+0x27/0xf0

lookup_one_qstr_excl+0x2a/0x180

start_dirop+0x55/0xa0

simple_start_creating+0x8d/0xa0

debugfs_start_creating+0x8c/0x180

debugfs_create_dir+0x1d/0x1c0

pinctrl_init+0x6d/0x140

do_one_initcall+0x6d/0x3d0

kernel_init_freeable+0x39f/0x460

kernel_init+0x2a/0x260

There will be only one bucket in dentry_hashtable when dhash_entries is

set as one, and d_hash_shift is calculated as 32 by dcache_init(). Then,

following process will access more than one buckets(which memory region

is not allocated) in dentry_hashtable:

d_lookup

b = d_hash(hash)

dentry_hashtable + ((u32)hashlen >> d_hash_shift)

// The C standard defines the behavior of right shift amounts

// exceeding the bit width of the operand as undefined. The

// result of '(u32)hashlen >> d_hash_shift' becomes 'hashlen',

// so 'b' will point to an unallocated memory region.

hlist_bl_for_each_entry_rcu(b)

hlist_bl_first_rcu(head)

h->first // read OOB!

Fix it by limiting the minimal number of dentry_hashtable bucket to two,

so that 'd_hash_shift' won't exceeds the bit width of type u32.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2026-43071 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.1.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Mentioned vendors (from description):
Linux
CPE data not yet available in NVD for this CVE.

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

All References (6)

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2026-43071
CVSS Score9.1 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
CISA KEVNo
EPSS (30d)0.02%
PublishedMay 5, 2026

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2026-43071 in threat intel feeds
  • Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.