CVE-2026-74383 nvme-pci: fix out-of-bounds access in nvme_setup_descriptor_pools
A local attacker with NVMe hardware access can cause a kernel crash and denial of service on non-NUMA kernels due to an out-of-bounds array index.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-74383?
CVE-2026-74383 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux, published on 15 Aug 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:
nvme-pci: fix out-of-bounds access in nvme_setup_descriptor_pools
nvme_setup_descriptor_pools() indexes dev->descriptor_pools[] using the numa_node forwarded from hctx->numa_node by its single caller, nvme_init_hctx_common(). On a non-NUMA kernel hctx->numa_node is NUMA_NO_NODE (-1). Because the parameter was declared 'unsigned', the value becomes UINT_MAX and the index walks off the array (sized to nr_node_ids), faulting during nvme_alloc_ns() and leaving the namespace without a /dev node.
Reproduces on any NVMe controller probed by a CONFIG_NUMA=n kernel:
BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: ffff889101603d38 RIP: 0010:nvme_init_hctx_common+0x5a/0x190 [nvme] Call Trace: nvme_init_hctx+0x10/0x20 [nvme] nvme_alloc_ns+0x9e/0xa10 [nvme_core] nvme_scan_ns+0x301/0x3b0 [nvme_core] nvme_scan_ns_async+0x23/0x30 [nvme_core]
Switch the parameter to int and fall back to node 0 when it is NUMA_NO_NODE; node 0 is always present.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-74383?
How do I fix CVE-2026-74383?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Is CVE-2026-74383 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-74383 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2026-74383, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-74383, GHSA-2x9w-pwqr-6m8q, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-74383.