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TI-2026-09171 Aliases CVE-2026-10669

Xtensa MPU `arch_buffer_validate()` integer-overflow lets a user thread bypass syscall pointer validation

Priority LOW 35CWE-787Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Local
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Code execution
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · High · High
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-787 and the CVSS impact.

Summary

On Xtensa SoCs built with CONFIG_XTENSA_MPU and CONFIG_USERSPACE, arch_buffer_validate() in arch/xtensa/core/mpu.c — the architecture hook that verifies a user-mode-supplied buffer is accessible to the calling user thread with the requested permission — defaulted its return value to 0 (access permitted) and only set a denial result inside its per-MPU-region probe loop. When the rounded extent of the buffer wraps the 32-bit address space (size + alignment offset near SIZE_MAX, or ROUND_UP(size + offset) overflowing to 0), the loop executes zero iterations and the function returns 0 = permitted without probing any MPU region. The syscall-layer pre-checks (K_SYSCALL_MEMORY_SIZE_CHECK / Z_DETECT_POINTER_OVERFLOW) only catch a raw addr+size wrap and do not cover the ROUND_UP-induced wrap, and the string path (arch_user_string_nlen -> arch_buffer_validate) has no syscall-layer guard at all. An unprivileged user-mode thread can therefore pass a crafted (addr, size) to any syscall that validates user buffers via k_usermode_from_copy/to_copy or k_usermode_string_copy and have validation succeed for memory it must not access; the kernel then reads from (disclosure) or, with write=1, writes to (corruption) attacker-chosen kernel or other-partition memory on the thread's behalf, enabling information disclosure, memory corruption, privilege escalation, and denial of service. Affected from v3.7.0 (when Xtensa MPU userspace support was added) through v4.4.0. The fix changes the default to -EINVAL (deny by default), adds an explicit size_add_overflow check, and sets the success value only after the full range has been validated.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00177 7th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Public exploit Yes 1 exploit referenceTagged by NVD
Fix Fixed zephyr (zephyrproject): 4.3.1, 4.4.1

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
No
Technical impact
Total

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
zephyrprojectzephyr3.7.0 to before 4.3.1; 4.4.0 to before 4.4.14.3.1, 4.4.1Patch availableCNA
  • zephyr Vendorzephyrproject Affected 3.7.0 to before 4.3.1; 4.4.0 to before 4.4.1 Fixed in 4.3.1, 4.4.1 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 1

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:o:zephyrproject:zephyr:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*3.7.0 to before 4.5.0Vulnerablezephyrproject
  • cpe:2.3:o:zephyrproject:zephyr:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.7.0 to before 4.5.0 Vulnerable ·zephyrproject

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA zephyr (zephyrproject) Fixed in 4.3.1, 4.4.1

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-10669
  2. 2026-10-16 Fix available: [email protected], [email protected] · CNA

References

  • TI-2026-04422 Out-of-bounds read/write in HTTP WebSocket upgrade via non-null-terminated Sec-WebSocket-Key CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2026-01361 dns: memory‑safety issue in the DNS name parser CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2026-09174 Unterminated URI buffer causes out-of-bounds read in LwM2M firmware pull (Package URI) CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.1
  • TI-2026-09168 Stack buffer overflow in `net_ipaddr_parse()` IPv4 address-with-port parsing in `subsys/net/ip/utils.c` CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2024-09625 net: lib: http_server: Buffer Under-read CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.6
  • TI-2021-02863 Usb bluetooth device ACL read cb buffer overflow CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.6
See all 196 →

Sources

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