CVE-2026-43197: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netconsole: avoid OOB reads, msg is not n

Q: How do I fix CVE-2026-43197?

linux kernel: upgrade to 6.18.16, 6.19.6. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2026-43197 being exploited?

CVE-2026-43197 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

Q: What does CVE-2026-43197 affect?

CVE-2026-43197 affects linux kernel. Severity is critical (CVSS 9.1). In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netconsole: avoid OOB reads, msg is not nul-terminated msg passed to netconsole from the console subsystem is not guaranteed to be nul-terminated. Before recent commit 7e

Q: How urgent is CVE-2026-43197?

Priority 54/100. Critical severity; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action; On your watchlist

This month

CRITICAL 9.1REMOTEWATCHLISTUPGRADE

CVE-2026-43197 is a critical-severity flaw (CVSS 9.1) affecting linux kernel. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netconsole: avoid OOB reads, msg is not nul-terminated msg passed to netconsole from the console subsystem is not guaranteed to be nul-terminated. Before recent commit 7eab73b18630 ("netconsole: convert to NBCON console infrastructure") the message would be placed in printk_shared_pbufs, a static global buffer, so KASAN had harder time catching OOB accesses. Now we see: pr

Why this priority

Critical severity
Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action
On your watchlist

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	9.1 (Critical)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	0.6% (top 52%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-125
Published	2026-05-06
Last modified	2026-10-21

Publisher (CNA): kernel.org · Vendor: linux

Last updated 2026-10-21 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2026-05-06 12:16 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-10-21 13:18 UTCUpdated Record last modified

linux linux kernel UPGRADE

Affected: >= 6.6 and < 6.18.16 · >= 6.19 and < 6.19.6 · 7.0 rc1

Fixed in: 6.18.16, 6.19.6

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

Check your OS release

cat /etc/os-release; uname -r

Debian / Ubuntu

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

Windows

Install the latest cumulative update from Windows Update

If no patch exists yet

OS downgrades are not safe. Apply the vendor mitigation from the advisory and restrict exposure.

Exact fixes by distribution

Fedora 46 · fzssh · FIXED · 1.4.0-2.fc46 · FEDORA-2026-8004fcd067 · source

sudo dnf upgrade --advisory=FEDORA-2026-8004fcd067

Ubuntu 24.04 · linux · FIXED · 6.8.0-137.137

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade linux dpkg --compare-versions "$(dpkg-query -W -f='${Version}' linux)" ge "6.8.0-137.137" && echo PATCHED || echo STILL-VULNERABLE

Ubuntu 25.10 · linux · FIXED · 6.17.0-40.40

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade linux dpkg --compare-versions "$(dpkg-query -W -f='${Version}' linux)" ge "6.17.0-40.40" && echo PATCHED || echo STILL-VULNERABLE

Ubuntu 20.04 · linux · NOT AFFECTED

Ubuntu 22.04 · linux · NOT AFFECTED

Ubuntu 20.04 · linux-hwe-5.15 · NOT AFFECTED

Debian 12 · linux · NOT AFFECTED

Debian 13 · linux · FIXED · 6.12.105-1

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade linux dpkg --compare-versions "$(dpkg-query -W -f='${Version}' linux)" ge "6.12.105-1" && echo PATCHED || echo STILL-VULNERABLE

Debian 12 · linux-6.12 · FIXED · 6.12.107-1~deb12u1

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade linux-6.12 dpkg --compare-versions "$(dpkg-query -W -f='${Version}' linux-6.12)" ge "6.12.107-1~deb12u1" && echo PATCHED || echo STILL-VULNERABLE

RHEL 10 · kernel · DEFERRED

RHEL 6 · kernel · DEFERRED

RHEL 7 · kernel · NOT AFFECTED

RHEL 7 · kernel-rt · NOT AFFECTED

RHEL 8 · kernel · NOT AFFECTED

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2026-43197?

linux kernel: upgrade to 6.18.16, 6.19.6. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2026-43197 being exploited?

CVE-2026-43197 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2026-43197 affect?

CVE-2026-43197 affects linux kernel. Severity is critical (CVSS 9.1). In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netconsole: avoid OOB reads, msg is not nul-terminated msg passed to netconsole from the console subsystem is not guaranteed to be nul-terminated. Before recent commit 7e

How urgent is CVE-2026-43197?

Priority 54/100. Critical severity; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action; On your watchlist

Software pages

Linux kernel vulnerabilities

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References

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