CVE-2026-43488

MEDIUMCVSS 5.5/10EPSS 0.16%

Last modified

CVE-2026-43488 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.5/10 on the CVSS scale. In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: usb: xhci: Prevent interrupt storm on host controller error (HCE) The xHCI controller reports a Host Controller Error (HCE) in UAS Storage Device plug/unplug scenarios on Android devices. HCE is checked in xhci_irq() function and causes an interrupt storm (since the interrupt isn’t cleared), leading to severe system-level faults. When the xHC controller reports HCE in the interrupt handler, the driver only logs a warning and assumes xHC activity will stop as stated in xHCI specification. EPSS estimates a 0.16% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: usb: xhci: Prevent interrupt storm on host controller error (HCE) The xHCI controller reports a Host Controller Error (HCE) in UAS Storage Device plug/unplug scenarios on Android devices. HCE is checked in xhci_irq() function and causes an interrupt storm (since the interrupt isn’t cleared), leading to severe system-level faults. When the xHC controller reports HCE in the interrupt handler, the driver only logs a warning and assumes xHC activity will stop as stated in xHCI specification. An interrupt storm does however continue on some hosts even after HCE, and only ceases after manually disabling xHC interrupt and stopping the controller by calling xhci_halt(). Add xhci_halt() to xhci_irq() function where STS_HCE status is checked, mirroring the existing error handling pattern used for STS_FATAL errors. This only fixes the interrupt storm. Proper HCE recovery requires resetting and re-initializing the xHC.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
5.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability
0.16%

5.2th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

VendorProductVersionsUpdate
LinuxLinux Kernel>= 6.2, < 6.6.130
LinuxLinux Kernel>= 6.7, < 6.12.78
LinuxLinux Kernel>= 6.13, < 6.18.19
LinuxLinux Kernel>= 6.19, < 6.19.9
LinuxLinux Kernel7.0Rc1

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-43488?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: usb: xhci: Prevent interrupt storm on host controller error (HCE) The xHCI controller reports a Host Controller Error (HCE) in UAS Storage Device plug/unplug scenarios on Android devices. HCE is checked in xhci_irq() function and causes an interrupt storm (since the interrupt isn’t cleared), leading to severe system-level faults. When the xHC controller reports HCE in the interrupt handler, the driver only logs a warning and assumes xHC activity will stop as stated in xHCI specification. An interrupt storm does however continue on some hosts even after HCE, and only ceases after manually disabling xHC interrupt and stopping the controller by calling xhci_halt(). Add xhci_halt() to xhci_irq() function where STS_HCE status is checked, mirroring the existing error handling pattern used for STS_FATAL errors. This only fixes the interrupt storm. Proper HCE recovery requires resetting and re-initializing the xHC.
How severe is CVE-2026-43488?
CVE-2026-43488 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.16% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2026-43488?
Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

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Source: NVD / NIST