Medium 5.5Published May 6, 2026

CVE-2026-43088net: af_key: zero aligned sockaddr tail in PF_KEY exports

Updated under an hour ago (Oct 27, 2026, 4:10 PM ET)

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No exploitation reported and no EPSS estimate yet.

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Exploited in the last 30 days

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: af_key: zero aligned sockaddr tail in PF_KEY exports PF_KEY export paths use `pfkey_sockaddr_size()` when reserving sockaddr payload space, so IPv6 addresses occupy 32 bytes on the wire. However, `pfkey_sockaddr_fill()` initializes only the first 28 bytes of `struct sockaddr_in6`, leaving the final 4 aligned bytes uninitialized. Not every PF_KEY message is affected. The state and policy dump builders already zero the whole message buffer before filling the sockaddr payloads. Keep the fix to the export paths that still append aligned sockaddr payloads with plain `skb_put()`: - `SADB_ACQUIRE` - `SADB_X_NAT_T_NEW_MAPPING` - `SADB_X_MIGRATE` Fix those paths by clearing only the aligned sockaddr tail after `pfkey_sockaddr_fill()`.

CVSS: 5.5 MEDIUM (v3.1, NVD)CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Weakness (CWE): Not given
Known exploited: Not in CISA's KEV catalog
EPSS (exploitation in the next 30 days): Not loaded for this CVE
Assigned by: Linux
NVD analysis: Modified
Record last updated: Sep 14, 2026
First seen by InfoSec Signals: Oct 9, 2026

Affected products

Affected products

Linux Linux linux:linux (from the name)	from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 6df5f90175fe4c584e9960b6c00131a7bf2b5399; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 746ee79d9e140f0e9e56f5123eaa88ad9332de7b; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before e357c3cf8a44d4ec1f49ad6981e4ab9704354347; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 3c19cb8a84ef709d57943bd6664cf31cb91ba6ec; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 11cbf294bac623bd57296f231199193087f57b4a; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before edd446ee7cd3d02cac246168063d5b3e9ea68460; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 2e74f974359b5382ecbe8536abbb5b837eb6c724; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 426c355742f02cf743b347d9d7dbdc1bfbfa31ef	CNA record
linux linux_kernel linux:linux_kernel	from 2.6.12.1 before 6.12.88; from 6.13 before 6.18.30; from 6.19 before 6.19.14; 2.6.12; 2.6.12; 2.6.12; 2.6.12; 2.6.12; and 7 more ranges	NVD

References

References

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6df5f90175fe4c584e9960b6c00131a7bf2b5399
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/746ee79d9e140f0e9e56f5123eaa88ad9332de7b
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e357c3cf8a44d4ec1f49ad6981e4ab9704354347
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3c19cb8a84ef709d57943bd6664cf31cb91ba6ec
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/11cbf294bac623bd57296f231199193087f57b4a	patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/edd446ee7cd3d02cac246168063d5b3e9ea68460	patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2e74f974359b5382ecbe8536abbb5b837eb6c724	patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/426c355742f02cf743b347d9d7dbdc1bfbfa31ef	patch

The CVE record on cve.org NVD's entry

The CVE record is authoritative. Products marked “from the name” were identified from the CNA's free-text names, not a CPE, and are matched less certainly. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.