CVE-2026-43116 Vulnerability Analysis & Exploit Details

CVE-2026-43116
Vulnerability Scoring

Analysis In Progress
Analysis In Progress

Attack Complexity Details

  • Attack Complexity:
    Attack Complexity Analysis In Progress
  • Attack Vector:
    Attack Vector Under Analysis
  • Privileges Required: None
    No authentication is required for exploitation.
  • Scope:
    Impact is confined to the initially vulnerable component.
  • User Interaction: None
    No user interaction is necessary for exploitation.

CVE-2026-43116 Details

Status: Received on 06 May 2026, 10:16 UTC

Published on: 06 May 2026, 10:16 UTC

CVSS Release:

CVE-2026-43116 Vulnerability Summary

CVE-2026-43116: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: ctnetlink: ensure safe access to master conntrack Holding reference on the expectation is not sufficient, the master conntrack object can just go away, making exp->master invalid. To access exp->master safely: - Grab the nf_conntrack_expect_lock, this gets serialized with clean_from_lists() which also holds this lock when the master conntrack goes away. - Hold reference on master conntrack via nf_conntrack_find_get(). Not so easy since the master tuple to look up for the master conntrack is not available in the existing problematic paths. This patch goes for extending the nf_conntrack_expect_lock section to address this issue for simplicity, in the cases that are described below this is just slightly extending the lock section. The add expectation command already holds a reference to the master conntrack from ctnetlink_create_expect(). However, the delete expectation command needs to grab the spinlock before looking up for the expectation. Expand the existing spinlock section to address this to cover the expectation lookup. Note that, the nf_ct_expect_iterate_net() calls already grabs the spinlock while iterating over the expectation table, which is correct. The get expectation command needs to grab the spinlock to ensure master conntrack does not go away. This also expands the existing spinlock section to cover the expectation lookup too. I needed to move the netlink skb allocation out of the spinlock to keep it GFP_KERNEL. For the expectation events, the IPEXP_DESTROY event is already delivered under the spinlock, just move the delivery of IPEXP_NEW under the spinlock too because the master conntrack event cache is reached through exp->master. While at it, add lockdep notations to help identify what codepaths need to grab the spinlock.

Assessing the Risk of CVE-2026-43116

Access Complexity Graph

The exploitability of CVE-2026-43116 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).

Exploitability Analysis for CVE-2026-43116

No exploitability data is available for CVE-2026-43116.

Understanding AC and PR

A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.

Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.

Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.

CVSS Score Breakdown Chart

Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2026-43116, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.

CIA Impact Analysis

Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2026-43116, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.

  • Confidentiality: None
    CVE-2026-43116 does not compromise confidentiality.
  • Integrity: None
    CVE-2026-43116 does not impact data integrity.
  • Availability: None
    CVE-2026-43116 does not affect system availability.

CVE-2026-43116 References

External References

CWE Common Weakness Enumeration

Unknown

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