CVE-2026-43373
NCSI skb leak in Linux kernel
Publication date: 2026-05-08
Last updated on: 2026-05-08
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | * |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-UNKNOWN |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's Network Controller Sideband Interface (NCSI) implementation. Specifically, certain error handling paths in the NCSI RX and Asynchronous Event Notification (AEN) handlers fail to release received socket buffers (skb) when errors occur.
As a result, when invalid AEN packets are received or when the NCSI device or response handlers cannot be resolved, the code returns early without freeing the allocated skb, causing a memory leak.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
The primary impact of this vulnerability is a memory leak in the Linux kernel's NCSI handling code. Over time, repeated triggering of this flaw could cause increased memory consumption, potentially leading to degraded system performance or even system instability if memory resources are exhausted.