If left unpatched, CVE-2026-5072 could lead to major system disruptions or data loss.
Status: Awaiting Analysis
Last updated: 🕕 26 May 2026, 18:16 UTC
Originally published on: 🕗 22 May 2026, 08:16 UTC
Time between publication and last update: 4 days
CVSS Release: version 3
134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
Secondary
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CVE-2026-5072: A bitwise shift vulnerability in Zephyr's PTP subsystem allows a remote attacker to cause undefined behavior and potential system crashes. An attacker sends a crafted PTP_MSG_MANAGEMENT message to set an unvalidated negative log_announce_interval value in the port's data set. When a subsequent PTP_MSG_ANNOUNCE message is processed, port_timer_set_timeout_random computes a timeout as NSEC_PER_SEC >> -log_seconds; if the attacker-supplied value is sufficiently negative (e.g., -127), the shift amount exceeds the 64-bit integer width, triggering undefined behavior in C. This can cause a system crash via a compiler-generated illegal instruction trap on some architectures, or produce an erroneous zero timeout leading to resource starvation loops or other logical errors.
The exploitability of CVE-2026-5072 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).
With low attack complexity and no required privileges, CVE-2026-5072 is an easy target for cybercriminals. Organizations should prioritize immediate mitigation measures to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.
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.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2026-5072, 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.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2026-5072, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
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