Back to the CVE list
CVE-2026-16513

Missing write validation of user-supplied handle pointer in the RTIO syscall verifier allows arbitrary kernel write

CVSS score

7.8

EPSS probability

%0.1

Risk score

0.0

Published

19 d ago

Official patch verified

Etkilenen ürün ve sürüm için yayımlanan güvenlik güncellemesini uygulayın.

Impact on My Inventory

Only the personal products you have added to your account are assessed; an organisation's inventory does not appear here.

Checking session…

Vulnerability description

DayBreach CVE AI Research

CVE-2026-16513 has vendor, distribution, patch and security-source records on file. We can compare them and prepare an explanation linked to the evidence.

The userspace verifier z_vrfy_rtio_sqe_copy_in_get_handles() in subsys/rtio/rtio_syscalls.c (subsys/rtio/rtio_handlers.c before v4.3.0) validated the RTIO object handle and the sqes input array, but not the handle out-parameter. On the first loop iteration it executed *handle = sqe, storing the kernel address of the newly acquired submission-queue entry through a pointer taken verbatim from user mode, with no K_SYSCALL_MEMORY_WRITE check in front of it. Any user-mode thread that has been granted a struct rtio kernel object can invoke the syscall with an arbitrary address in handle. That is the ordinary way an unprivileged thread uses the RTIO API, for example via sensor_read_async_mempool() or the async ADC helpers, which call rtio_sqe_copy_in_get_handles() internally. The store happens in supervisor mode before any submission-entry validation, so it fires regardless of whether the SQE contents are subsequently rejected. Only builds with CONFIG_USERSPACE and CONFIG_RTIO are affected; without CONFIG_USERSPACE the verifier is not compiled and the caller is already privileged. The write address is fully attacker-chosen and the written value is a pointer into the caller's own RTIO ring, whose contents the caller controls (the following *sqe = sqes[i] copies an attacker-supplied struct rtio_sqe into that slot). This yields a write-what-where primitive placing a pointer to attacker-controlled data at any kernel address, sufficient to corrupt kernel function pointers, thread structures, or memory-domain partition tables, and thus to escalate from user mode to kernel mode, defeating the isolation boundary CONFIG_USERSPACE is meant to enforce. At minimum it is a reliable kernel memory-corruption and crash primitive. The reporter reproduced the write on qemu_x86: a K_USER thread changed a supervisor global from NULL to a live kernel SQE pointer. The fix adds K_SYSCALL_MEMORY_WRITE(handle, sizeof(*handle)) (guarded by the existing optional-NULL semantics) before the loop, so the destination must lie in the calling thread's writable memory domain or the thread is terminated by K_OOPS. The neighbouring verifier z_vrfy_rtio_cqe_get_mempool_buffer(), which checked its buff/buff_len out-parameters only for read although the implementation writes through them, was hardened separately by bea93400138 ("rtio: syscalls: validate output params as writable"); that residual was materially weaker, since a read check still confines the target to the caller's own memory domain.

IMPACT: Affected Products and Software

Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-16513 vulnerability. Where our threat engine knows the exact affected versions, they are listed below.

IDVENDORPRODUCTACTION
1zephyrprojectzephyr View
Total affected vendors: 1|Products: 1

RED HAT CSAF/VEX: Product Impact Check

Red Hat has not yet published a CSAF/VEX impact record for this CVE. This does not mean “not affected”.

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.

SCOREVERSIONSEVERITYVECTORSOURCE
7.8CVSS V3_1HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HCVE CNA
7.8CVSS V31HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HNVD

Patch and Remediation Guide

Solution & Remediation Advisory

Patch verified

2 doğrulanmış yama veya düzeltilmiş sürüm kanıtı bulundu.

cvelist

Fix commit

Open source
reference

Fix commit

Open source
Confirm the affected product and version against the source evidence above.
Restrict access to internet-facing services and apply network segmentation.
Apply the official update named in the evidence only to the matching product and version.
Monitor server logs and network endpoints for signs of anomalous execution.

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-2026-16513 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-2026-16513 weaknesses.

Attack Vector and Accessibility

ExposureYerel erişim
PermissionsLow
UserGerekmiyor

Official Sources and Advisories

CVSS Vector Radar Chart

7.8 / 10
Attack VectorLocalComplexityLowPrivilegesLowUser Interact.NoneConfidentialityLowIntegrityNoneAvailabilityHigh

Vulnerability Scoring Details

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredLow privileges
User InteractionNone required
Confidentiality (Gizlilik)Low
Integrity (Bütünlük)None
Availability (Erişilebilirlik)High

Yama doğrulandı

2 doğrulanmış yama veya düzeltilmiş sürüm kanıtı bulundu.

Follow the vendor

Weakness Type (CWE & CAPEC)

Similar Vulnerabilities

Get this vulnerability through the API

Affected products, version ranges, exploitation status and patch information in a single request, with a free key.

curl -H "x-api-key: $DAYBREACH_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.daybreach.dev/api/v1/intel/cves/CVE-2026-16513"