CVE-2026-43432

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: usb: xhci: Fix memory leak in xhci_disable_slot() xhci_alloc_command() allocates a command structure and, when the second argument is true, also allocates a completion structure. Currently, the error handling path in xhci_disable_slot() only frees the command structure using kfree(), causing the completion structure to leak. Use xhci_free_command() instead of kfree(). xhci_free_command() correctly frees both the command structure and the associated completion structure. Since the command structure is allocated with zero-initialization, command->in_ctx is NULL and will not be erroneously freed by xhci_free_command(). This bug was found using an experimental static analysis tool we are developing. The tool is based on the LLVM framework and is specifically designed to detect memory management issues. It is currently under active development and not yet publicly available, but we plan to open-source it after our research is published. The bug was originally detected on v6.13-rc1 using our static analysis tool, and we have verified that the issue persists in the latest mainline kernel. We performed build testing on x86_64 with allyesconfig using GCC=11.4.0. Since triggering these error paths in xhci_disable_slot() requires specific hardware conditions or abnormal state, we were unable to construct a test case to reliably trigger these specific error paths at runtime.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-05-08
Last modified 2026-05-20
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

5.5

out of 10
Medium
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness type

CWE-401

CVE-2026-43432 is a Memory Leak vulnerability

What is Memory Leak?

The product does not release memory after use, causing gradual resource exhaustion. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 5.10.85, 5.15.8, 4.19.221, 5.4.165, 5.16 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.167, 6.6.130, 6.12.78, 6.18.19, 6.19.9, 7.0 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.10.85 ≥ 5.15.8 ≥ 4.19.221 ≥ 5.4.165 ≥ 5.16
Fixed in
✓ 5.10.253 5.10.x ✓ 5.15.203 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.167 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.130 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.78 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.19 6.18.x ✓ 6.19.9 6.19.x ✓ 7.0

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2026-43432 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-43432?

    CVE-2026-43432 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as a Memory Leak flaw (CWE-401) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.10.85 onward and has been patched in 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.167 and others. CVE-2026-43432 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-43432?

    CVE-2026-43432 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-43432?

    Yes — CVE-2026-43432 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.167 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.10.85 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-43432 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2026-43432 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • What is Memory Leak (CWE-401)?

    The product does not release memory after use, causing gradual resource exhaustion. View CWE-401 on MITRE CWE →