CVE-2026-43455: Linux Kernel

Medium severity, CVSS 5.5. EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mctp: route: hold key->lock in mctp_flow_prepare_output() mctp_flow_prepare_output() checks key->dev and may call mctp_dev_set_key(), but it does not hold key->lock while doing so. mctp_dev_set_key() and mctp_dev_release_key() are annotated with __must_hold(&key->lock), so key->dev access is intended to be serialized by key->lock. The mctp_sendmsg() transmit path reaches mctp_flow_prepare_output() via mctp_local_output() -> mctp_dst_output() without holding key->lock, so the check-and-set sequence is racy. Example interleaving: CPU0 CPU1 ---- ---- mctp_flow_prepare_output(key, devA) if (!key->dev) // sees NULL mctp_flow_prepare_output( key, devB) if (!key->dev) // still NULL mctp_dev_set_key(devB, key) mctp_dev_hold(devB) key->dev = devB mctp_dev_set_key(devA, key) mctp_dev_hold(devA) key->dev = devA // overwrites devB Now both devA and devB references were acquired, but only the final key->dev value is tracked for release. One reference can be lost, causing a resource leak as mctp_dev_release_key() would only decrease the reference on one dev. Fix by taking key->lock around the key->dev check and mctp_dev_set_key() call.

Affected products

• Linux Linux Kernel: from 5.16, before 6.1.167 (fixed in 6.1.167); from 6.2, before 6.6.130 (fixed in 6.6.130); from 6.7, before 6.12.78 (fixed in 6.12.78); from 6.13, before 6.18.19 (fixed in 6.18.19); from 6.19, before 6.19.9 (fixed in 6.19.9); version 7.0 only

Published 2026-05-08. Last modified 2026-06-17.