Linux: Out-of-bounds Write
CVE-2026-53203 is a high-severity out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions d3c12ed33e8923f3090909a1738f3e59292996a6, fa598556ecef412edcb391f144b7642e18fdfd45, 4e5047cc94bea1cc7b670b7f503358e9af0542df as the first without the flaw, so updating Linux to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.14% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Linux to d3c12ed33e8923f3090909a1738f3e59292996a6 or fa598556ecef412edcb391f144b7642e18fdfd45 or 4e5047cc94bea1cc7b670b7f503358e9af0542df or fb176425837693f50c5c9fc8db6fbb04af22bd0a, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.12.94 or 6.18.36 or 7.0.13, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | cdfad4db7756563db7d458216d9e3c2651dddc7d up to, but not including, d3c12ed33e8923f3090909a1738f3e59292996a6; cdfad4db7756563db7d458216d9e3c2651dddc7d up to, but not including, fa598556ecef412edcb391f144b7642e18fdfd45; cdfad4db7756563db7d458216d9e3c2651dddc7d up to, but not including, 4e5047cc94bea1cc7b670b7f503358e9af0542df; cdfad4db7756563db7d458216d9e3c2651dddc7d up to, but not including, fb176425837693f50c5c9fc8db6fbb04af22bd0a; 6.11 | d3c12ed33e8923f3090909a1738f3e59292996a6, fa598556ecef412edcb391f144b7642e18fdfd45, 4e5047cc94bea1cc7b670b7f503358e9af0542df, fb176425837693f50c5c9fc8db6fbb04af22bd0a |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.11 up to, but not including, 6.12.94; 6.13 up to, but not including, 6.18.36; 6.19 up to, but not including, 7.0.13; 7.1 | 6.12.94, 6.18.36, 7.0.13 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- NoneNothing can be modified.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H. Scored by CNA.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.1 | High | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.0 | High | CNA |
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: accel/ivpu: Add buffer overflow check in MS get_info_ioctl Add validation that the info size returned from the metric stream info query is not exceeded when checked against the allocated buffer size. If the firmware returns a size larger than the buffer, reject the operation with -EOVERFLOW instead of proceeding with an incorrect buffer copy.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Out-of-bounds Write
The product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, many languages that perform their own memory management, such as Java and Perl, are not subject to buffer overflows. Other languages, such as Ada and C#, typically provide overflow protection, but the protection can be disabled by the programmer. Be wary that a language's interface to native code may still be subject to overflows, even if the language itself is theoretically safe.
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. Examples include the Safe C String Library (SafeStr) by Messier and Viega, and the Strsafe.h library from Microsoft. These libraries provide safer versions of overflow-prone string-handling functions.
- Use automatic buffer overflow detection mechanisms that are offered by certain compilers or compiler extensions. Examples include: the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag, Fedora/Red Hat FORTIFY_SOURCE GCC flag, StackGuard, and ProPolice, which provide various mechanisms including canary-based detection and range/index checking. D3-SFCV (Stack Frame Canary Validation) from D3FEND discusses canary-based detection in detail.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Third-party and government advisories
- access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-53203Third Party Advisory
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2492798Third Party Advisory
- security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-53203.jsonThird Party Advisory
Recent Out-of-bounds Write vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
Spotted an error? Tell us.