# CVE-2026-63923: octeontx2-af: validate body pcifunc in rvu_mbox_handler_rep_event_notify

> A missing bounds check in the Marvell OcteonTX2 AF driver allows a malicious virtual function to trigger an out-of-bounds write, potentially leading to code execution or privilege escalation.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 19 Jul 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-63923, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-63923, GHSA-95j3-7q26-w637, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-63923

## What is CVE-2026-63923?

CVE-2026-63923 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 19 Jul 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

octeontx2-af: validate body pcifunc in rvu_mbox_handler_rep_event_notify

rvu_mbox_handler_rep_event_notify() in drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/
octeontx2/af/rvu_rep.c queues a sender-controlled REP_EVENT_NOTIFY
request body verbatim, and rvu_rep_up_notify() then forwards
event->pcifunc (the nested body field, distinct from the
AF-normalised header pcifunc) into rvu_get_pfvf(), rvu_get_pf() and
the AF->PF mailbox device index without any bounds check.

A VF attached to a PF that has been put into switchdev
representor mode reaches this path: the VF mailbox handler
otx2_pfvf_mbox_handler() forwards every message id including
MBOX_MSG_REP_EVENT_NOTIFY to AF without an allowlist, and the AF
dispatcher rewrites only msg->pcifunc, leaving struct
rep_event::pcifunc attacker-controlled.  The sibling
rvu_mbox_handler_esw_cfg() refuses requests whose header pcifunc
is not rvu->rep_pcifunc; this handler has no equivalent gate.

An out-of-range body pcifunc selects an &rvu->pf[]/&rvu->hwvf[]
element past the allocated array and, for RVU_EVENT_MAC_ADDR_CHANGE,
turns into a six-byte attacker-chosen OOB ether_addr_copy() target
inside the queued worker; KASAN reports a slab-out-of-bounds write
in rvu_rep_wq_handler.

Reject malformed requests at the handler entry by gating on
is_pf_func_valid(), which is already the canonical PF/VF range check
in this driver; expose it via rvu.h so callers in rvu_rep.c can use
it instead of open-coding the same range arithmetic.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-63923?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-63923?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-63923 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-63923 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-63923 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-63923 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 19 Jul 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-63923 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-63923/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-63923/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-63923
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-63923
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-63923

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-63923/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.