CVE-2026-53173: accel/ethosu: fix OOB write in ethosu_gem_cmdstream_copy_and_validate()

Published Jun 25, 2026
·
Updated

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

accel/ethosu: fix OOB write in ethosugemcmdstreamcopyandvalidate()

The command stream parsing loop increments the index variable a second time when a 64-bit command word is encountered (bit 14 set), but does not re-check the loop bound before writing the second word:

for (i = 0; i < size / 4; i++) { bocmds[i] = cmds[0]; if (cmd & 0x4000) { i++; bocmds[i] = cmds[1]; / unchecked / } }

The buffer bocmds is backed by a DMA allocation of exactly size bytes from drmgemdmacreate(ddev, size), giving valid indices [0, size/4-1].

When i == size/4 - 1 on entry to an iteration and bit 14 of cmds[0] is set, bocmds[size/4-1] is written in bounds, i is then incremented to size/4, and bocmds[size/4] writes four bytes past the end of the allocation.

Userspace controls both the buffer contents and the size argument via the ioctl, making this a userspace-triggerable heap out-of-bounds write.

Fix by checking the incremented index against the buffer bound before the second write and returning -EINVAL if the buffer is too small to contain the extended command.

Affected Software

8 affected components
Linux Linux kernel
Linux Linux kernel>=6.19<7.0.13
Linux Linux kernel=7.1-rc1
Linux Linux kernel=7.1-rc2
Linux Linux kernel=7.1-rc3
Linux Linux kernel=7.1-rc4
Linux Linux kernel=7.1-rc5
Linux Linux kernel=7.1-rc6

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade Linux kernel (accel/ethosu) to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Patch allocation.

Event History

Jun 25, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·08:38 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·08:38 AM
DescriptionSeverity
Data Sourced
via NVD·09:16 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-53173?

CVE-2026-53173 has a risk rating of 65, indicating a moderate severity level.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-53173?

To fix CVE-2026-53173, update to the latest version of the Linux kernel where the vulnerability has been resolved.

3

What systems are affected by CVE-2026-53173?

CVE-2026-53173 affects the Linux kernel implementations that utilize the accel/ethosu component.

4

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2026-53173?

CVE-2026-53173 is an out-of-bounds (OOB) write vulnerability within the ethosu_gem_cmdstream_copy_and_validate function.

5

When was CVE-2026-53173 published?

CVE-2026-53173 was published on June 25, 2026.

Contact

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