Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A Linux kernel NFC validation error can disrupt communication with NCI-based NFC chips. The supplied CVSS rates potential confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact highly, but the technical description primarily documents broken NFC communication. Systems without active NCI NFC functionality are less likely to be exposed.
Executive priority
Prioritize promptly where NFC is operational, especially on managed devices handling sensitive information or essential workflows. Treat other Linux systems as lower urgency after confirming they lack NCI NFC exposure. Require vendor-confirmed version mapping because the supplied version list is not sufficiently clear for package-level decisions.
Technical view
Commit 9c328f54741b added packet validation to prevent uninitialized-data access but incorrectly compared variable-length NCI packets against a fixed structure size. The supplied record says later stable-kernel commits correct this validation. CVSS 3.1 is 8.3 with adjacent access, low complexity, no privileges, and no user interaction.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to Linux systems using the affected NFC NCI kernel path and relevant kernel builds. The adjacent-network vector does not indicate internet-remote exploitation. The flattened version metadata contains ambiguous release boundaries, so validate distribution kernel packages against vendor advisories and referenced fixes.
Exploitation context
The bundle marks this CVE as absent from KEV and provides no evidence of active exploitation, public exploit code, or observed attacks. Successful exploitation conditions are not explained beyond the CVSS adjacent-access requirement. Do not treat the CVSS impact claims as proof of demonstrated exploitation.
Researcher notes
The description characterizes a regression in a prior safety fix: fixed-size validation rejects valid variable-length packet data. No CWE is assigned. The record’s CVSS claims high confidentiality and availability impact, but the supplied narrative does not explain those security outcomes. Review the referenced kernel diffs and vendor backports before concluding exploitability or exact affected ranges.
Mitigation direction
- Check the Linux distribution or device vendor advisory for an explicitly fixed kernel package.
- Apply the vendor-supported kernel update containing the corresponding stable-kernel correction.
- Prioritize systems that actively use NCI-based NFC hardware or expose NFC functionality.
- Follow vendor guidance for temporary risk reduction when immediate kernel replacement is impractical.
Validation and detection
- Inventory kernel versions and identify systems with enabled NCI NFC drivers or hardware.
- Compare packaged kernel changelogs against the referenced Linux stable correction commits.
- Test NFC communication after updating, including legitimate variable-length NCI packet handling.
- Confirm monitoring shows no recurring NFC driver failures after remediation.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
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CVE-2026-43291 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 8.3 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:H2.85.5LinuxVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
8.3HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:H
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a24a8a582da4426b2042e510a1080df84083b51dCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f5218426f765eee22e178df9c126d974792fb6a5CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ad058a4317db7fdb3f09caa6ed536d24a62ce6a0CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3b91160e9a91b5a2662875417dc42dc5b0bf03eaCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c692db813a7e3b7c3c17d6e9a3ad2a018bf1142bCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/498fc5d0d650c77e87fcc73808d4f43240c21805CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/571dcbeb8e635182bb825ae758399831805693c2CVE reference, Linux
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.