CVE-2026-57843 — NetBSD mm_open() PK_KMEM Flag Kernel Pointer Information Disclosure
NetBSD contains an information disclosure vulnerability in mm_open() within sys/dev/mm.c that allows unprivileged local users to obtain real kernel virtual addresses by opening world-accessible devices such as /dev/null or /dev/zero, which incorrectly receive the PK_KMEM process flag. Attackers can exploit this misconfigured flag to bypass the CANSEE_KPTR obfuscation mechanism and read kernel virtual addresses for sensitive kernel structures including struct proc, kauth_cred, filedesc, and vmspace via sysctl KERN_PROC queries.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Technical severity (medium)+3
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.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
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.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Netbsd Netbsd).
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (access control), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.8 | CVSS 4.0 | Medium | — | — | disclosure@vulncheck.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 6.8 | CVSS 4.0 | Medium | — | — | VulnCheck via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| 5.5 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | 1.8 | 3.6 | disclosure@vulncheck.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 5.5 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | — | — | VulnCheck via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N (score shown at the top: disclosure@vulncheck.com) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
CWE-732 · Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
- Audit administrative actions and access to resources outside each user’s normal pattern.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · the netbsd foundation/netbsd
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 5.5
- Source status changed · → Awaiting Analysis
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
References
2 on the record
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- High CVE-2026-57842 NetBSD COMPAT_NETBSD32 Double Free / Use-After-Free via recvmsg() msg_iovlen Sep 11, 2026
- High CVE-2026-53996 NetBSD hdaudio(4) Driver Privilege Bypass Use-After-Free via HDAUDIO_FGRP_SETCONFIG ioctl Aug 12, 2026
- High CVE-2024-6387 Openssh: regresshion - race condition in ssh allows rce/dos Jul 1, 2024
- Medium CVE-2004-0230 TCP, when using a large Window Size, makes it easier for remote attackers to guess… Aug 18, 2004
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 FIRST EPSS score.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- 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-2026-57843 is "NetBSD mm_open() PK_KMEM Flag Kernel Pointer Information Disclosure", rated Medium. It affects Netbsd (Netbsd); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 5.5 describes technical severity. 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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