Unvalidated user pointers in RTIO syscall verifiers allow a user-mode thread to write kernel memory
CVSS score
8.8
EPSS probability
—
Risk score
0.9
Published
3 h ago
Etkilenen ürün ve sürüm için yayımlanan güvenlik güncellemesini uygulayın.
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Vulnerability description
DayBreach AI Explanation
Verified against sourcesSources read
2
Source agreement
Tam uyum
Evidence confidence
%63
Short explanation
Two RTIO syscall verifiers in Zephyr do not validate user‑supplied pointers, allowing a user‑mode thread to write arbitrary kernel memory. By setting a bit in a 16‑bit flags field and following pointer chains, an attacker can elevate privileges. Systems built with CONFIG_USERSPACE and CONFIG_RTIO are affected; other configurations are not.
Privilege escalation can lead to full compromise of embedded devices.
What should be done?
- Apply Zephyr patch commits (b1092a0…, 95c355c…, 3f244c…)
- Upgrade to Zephyr 4.3.2 or 4.5.0 and later
- Disable CONFIG_USERSPACE or CONFIG_RTIO if not required
- Mark handle out‑parameters as writable in custom code
Chain of evidence and sources
Bu güvenlik açığı, bir kullanıcı‑modu iş parçacığının çekirdek belleğine rastgele yazmasına ve root yetkileri elde etmesine izin verir.
Etkilenen Zephyr sürümleri 3.4.0 < 4.3.2 ve 4.4.0 < 4.5.0 arasındadır; CONFIG_USERSPACE veya CONFIG_RTIO olmayan derlemeler etkilenmez.
Yama referansları mevcuttur ve Zephyr 4.3.2 ve 4.5.0 gibi sabit sürümlerle sorunu giderebilir.
Show the technical text from the sources
Two RTIO syscall verifiers, in subsys/rtio/rtio_syscalls.c (subsys/rtio/rtio_handlers.c before v4.3.0), did not validate user-supplied pointers before the kernel wrote through them. z_vrfy_rtio_sqe_cancel() performed no validation at all. It passed the caller's struct rtio_sqe pointer straight to z_impl_rtio_sqe_cancel(), which converts it with CONTAINER_OF to a struct rtio_iodev_sqe, ORs RTIO_SQE_CANCELED (BIT(3)) into its 16-bit flags field in supervisor mode, then loads its next pointer and repeats until that pointer is NULL. The syscall takes no RTIO context argument, so it needs no object grant: any user-mode thread on a CONFIG_USERSPACE build can set that bit in a 16-bit word at an address of its choosing in kernel memory, and the kernel continues the write along whatever pointer chain it finds at the corresponding offset. Setting chosen bits in kernel data structures, such as object permission or thread state fields, can be used to escalate privilege from user mode. z_vrfy_rtio_sqe_copy_in_get_handles() validated its RTIO context and the input SQE array, but only NULL-checked the handle out-parameter before writing a kernel SQE pointer through it, with no K_SYSCALL_MEMORY_WRITE check. A user thread that holds a granted RTIO context can therefore make the kernel store a pointer value at an arbitrary address. The fixes validate the handle out-parameter as writable, bound the cancel handle to real submission-pool storage, and require permission on the RTIO context that owns the matching pool. Without that last check a bounded handle still let any user thread cancel submissions belonging to other contexts, silently aborting their I/O. Systems built without CONFIG_USERSPACE or without CONFIG_RTIO are unaffected.
CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
CWE: CWE-822, CWE-787, CWE-862
This explanation was compiled automatically from the source records. Scores, active exploitation, patch and exploit status come straight from the sources.
IMPACT: Affected Products and Software
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-16511 vulnerability. Where our threat engine knows the exact affected versions, they are listed below.
| ID | VENDOR | PRODUCT | ACTION |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | zephyrproject | zephyr | View |
RED HAT CSAF/VEX: Product Impact Check
SCORING: CVSS from Multiple Sources
CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardised framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and display CVSS scores from several sources for each CVE.
| SCORE | VERSION | SEVERITY | VECTOR | SOURCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.8 | CVSS V31 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H | NVD |
| 8.8 | CVSS V3_1 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H | CVE CNA |
Patch and Remediation Guide
Solution & Remediation Advisory
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Public exploit and active exploitation status
Verified exploit intelligence
No verified public PoC, exploit repository or Metasploit module has been found for this CVE yet.
Weakness Classification and Attack Patterns (CWE & CAPEC)
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorises the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-16511 is associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-16511 weaknesses.
Attack Vector and Accessibility
Official Sources and Advisories
CVSS Vector Radar Chart
8.8 / 10Vulnerability Scoring Details
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:HYama doğrulandı
Weakness Type (CWE & CAPEC)
Similar Vulnerabilities
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