Linux KernelOperating system · Linux
CVE-2026-43281
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mailbox: Prevent out-of-bounds access in fw_mbox_index_xlate() Although it is guided that `#mbox-cells` must be at least 1, there are many instances of `#mbox-cells = <0>;` in the device tree. If that is the case and the corresponding mailbox controller does not provide `fw_xlate` and of_xlate` function pointers, `fw_mbox_index_xlate()` will be used by default and out-of-bounds accesses could occur due to lack of bounds check in that function.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysisThe code reads past the end (or before the start) of a buffer, returning memory that was never meant to be exposed. Attackers use it to leak secrets like keys or to defeat memory-protection defences. Remediation is validating indices and lengths before every read.
General guidance for the out-of-bounds read class — the official description and references above are authoritative for this specific CVE. Want a bespoke review and a reviewed fix? Ask our team →
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
>= 3.18.1, < 6.1.167>= 6.2, < 6.6.130>= 6.7, < 6.12.77>= 6.13, < 6.18.16>= 6.19, < 6.19.6= 3.18CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped6.1.1676.6.1306.12.77
Upgrade to one of: Linux kernel 6.1.167 or later, 6.6.130 or later, 6.12.77 or later, or 6.18.16 or later
- Identify the currently running Linux kernel version using `uname -r`
- Determine which version range your kernel falls into (3.18.1-6.1.166, 6.2-6.6.129, 6.7-6.12.76, or 6.13-6.18.15)
- Obtain and apply the vendor patch from https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/01d9a8c2615d436b2b30c19c1afe9fcd5726ff6d, or upgrade to a fixed kernel version
- Rebuild the kernel with the patch applied if using the patch method
- Reboot the system into the updated kernel
- Verify the fix is applied by checking the fw_mbox_index_xlate function in the kernel source
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-43281 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-43281 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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