CVE Intelligence
High Memory corruption

CVE-2026-43233 — netfilter: nf_conntrack_h323: fix OOB read in decode_choice()

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: nf_conntrack_h323: fix OOB read in decode_choice() In decode_choice(), the boundary check before get_len() uses the variable `len`, which is still 0 from its initialization at the top of the function: unsigned int type, ext, len = 0; ... if (ext || (son->attr & OPEN)) { BYTE_ALIGN(bs); if (nf_h323_error_boundary(bs, len, 0)) /* len is 0 here */ return H323_ERROR_BOUND; len = get_len(bs); /* OOB read */ When the bitstream is exactly consumed (bs->cur == bs->end), the check nf_h323_error_boundary(bs, 0, 0) evaluates to (bs->cur + 0 > bs->end), which is false. The subsequent get_len() call then dereferences *bs->cur++, reading 1 byte past the end of the buffer. If that byte has bit 7 set, get_len() reads a second byte as well. This can be triggered remotely by sending a crafted Q.931 SETUP message with a User-User Information Element containing exactly 2 bytes of PER-encoded data ({0x08, 0x00}) to port 1720 through a firewall with the nf_conntrack_h323 helper active. The decoder fully consumes the PER buffer before reaching this code path, resulting in a 1-2 byte heap-buffer-overflow read confirmed by AddressSanitizer. Fix this by checking for 2 bytes (the maximum that get_len() may read) instead of the uninitialized `len`. This matches the pattern used at every other get_len() call site in the same file, where the caller checks for 2 bytes of available data before calling get_len().

Published May 6, 2026 · Updated Oct 13, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: Linux

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.
How the score was calculated
  • EPSS 0.5% (30-day exploitation probability)+6
  • Technical severity (high)+6

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation
Not confirmed
Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.
EPSS FIRST
0.46%
ahead of 39% of scored CVEs · Oct 14, 2026
Affects
Linux
Linux and 1 more
CVSS base
8.2
High · 2 source(s)

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

  • Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
  • Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
  • Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
  • Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
  • Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
  • Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
  • Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
  • Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

  1. Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux, Linux Linux Kernel).
  2. The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
  3. Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
  4. Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

VendorProductVersionsStatusSource
Linux Linux version 4.15≥ ec8a8f3c31ddef0a7d9626c4b8a4baa30f3b80aa and < baed0d9ba91d4f390da12d5039128ee897253d60≥ ec8a8f3c31ddef0a7d9626c4b8a4baa30f3b80aa and < 35f1943d242e1b9f0b6e91c0c93bfb293a9f8224≥ ec8a8f3c31ddef0a7d9626c4b8a4baa30f3b80aa and < f0a83d0a4b7c127d32ac06d607a9214937716129≥ ec8a8f3c31ddef0a7d9626c4b8a4baa30f3b80aa and < 53d32735d77ab56cc3fc7bd53a7d099418f19be1≥ ec8a8f3c31ddef0a7d9626c4b8a4baa30f3b80aa and < 7ef82863d42261817a6394c6c881bd6757a70f16≥ ec8a8f3c31ddef0a7d9626c4b8a4baa30f3b80aa and < 81f2fc5b0d0cf4696146f00f837596d10b92dead≥ ec8a8f3c31ddef0a7d9626c4b8a4baa30f3b80aa and < 2a3aac4205e7d2f1aca2e3827de8cdd517d36c4a
and 1 more ≥ ec8a8f3c31ddef0a7d9626c4b8a4baa30f3b80aa and < bcb50aa0b8f2b74a9fe5a1c7bee6f2657a288041
Vulnerable CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Linux Linux Kernel version 4.15-rc8version 7.0-rc1version 4.15-rc9≥ 4.15.1 and < 5.10.252version 4.15-rc7version 4.15-rc6version 4.15-rc5version 4.15-rc4
and 7 more version 4.15≥ 6.19 and < 6.19.6≥ 6.13 and < 6.18.16≥ 6.7 and < 6.12.75≥ 6.2 and < 6.6.128≥ 5.16 and < 6.1.165≥ 5.11 and < 5.15.202
Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
High

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

ScoreVersionSeverityExpl.ImpactScored by
8.2 CVSS 3.1 High 3.9 4.2 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 via NIST National Vulnerability Database
8.2 CVSS 3.1 High — — Linux via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

Weakness MITRE

Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.

CWE-125 · Out-of-bounds Read

Other CVEs with this weakness →

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.46%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

  • Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
  • Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
web/proxy/WAF logsnetwork IDS/IPSendpoint telemetry (EDR)crash dumps

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

  • 2026
  • Affected products added · linux/linux
    Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Record published
    Oct 13, 2026
  • Fix documented
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • CVSS changed · 8.2
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Source status changed · → Analyzed
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Record created in this database
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • CVE published
    May 6, 2026 · Linux

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

  • 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026

References

8 on the record

Elsewhere on this site

Linux
every CVE for this vendor
Memory corruption
same class
CWE-125
other pages naming this weakness

Related CVEs (same products)

  • CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 11h
  • CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 11h
  • CVE-2026-98424 wifi: cfg80211: undo netns switch if renaming the wiphy fails 1d
  • CVE-2026-98425 wifi: mac80211: don't warn when an IBSS has no channel to scan 1d
  • CVE-2026-98426 wifi: mwifiex: fix IRQ leak using wrong index in MSI-X error path 1d
  • CVE-2026-98427 net/sched: codel: bound the dropping loop per dequeue call 1d

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

  • No CISA SSVC assessment.
  • No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
  • No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
  • No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-43233 is "netfilter: nf_conntrack_h323: fix OOB read in decode_choice()", rated High. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 8.2 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.46% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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