CVE-2026-43442
Published: May 8, 2026· Updated: May 12, 2026
Official Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
io_uring: fix physical SQE bounds check for SQE_MIXED 128-byte ops
When IORING_SETUP_SQE_MIXED is used without IORING_SETUP_NO_SQARRAY,
the boundary check for 128-byte SQE operations in io_init_req()
validated the logical SQ head position rather than the physical SQE
index.
The existing check:
!(ctx->cached_sq_head & (ctx->sq_entries - 1))
ensures the logical position isn't at the end of the ring, which is
correct for NO_SQARRAY rings where physical == logical. However, when
sq_array is present, an unprivileged user can remap any logical
position to an arbitrary physical index via sq_array. Setting
sq_array[N] = sq_entries - 1 places a 128-byte operation at the last
physical SQE slot, causing the 128-byte memcpy in
io_uring_cmd_sqe_copy() to read 64 bytes past the end of the SQE
array.
Replace the cached_sq_head alignment check with a direct validation
of the physical SQE index, which correctly handles both sq_array and
NO_SQARRAY cases.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-43442 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.
Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.1.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
All References (2)
Quick Facts
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2026-43442 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts