# 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.

- **Severity:** High 8.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 15 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 17 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-74383, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-74383, GHSA-2x9w-pwqr-6m8q, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-74383

## 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.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-74383 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: 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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-74383 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. 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-2026-74383/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-74383/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-74383
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-74383
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-74383

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-74383/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.