CVE-2026-71974: U-Boot out-of-bounds write in read_slotted_partition()

CVE-2026-71974 · Severity: medium · CVSS 4.8 · Published 2026-09-29

U-Boot is firmware that initializes hardware and loads the operating system on embedded devices and development boards. A flaw in how it reads boot images fails to check that image headers don't exceed the allocated buffer, allowing an attacker with physical access to a device to supply malicious boot media that overwrites bootloader memory and potentially executes arbitrary code.

Technologies: U-Boot. Vendors: U-Boot.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-71974 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-71974 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-71974?
Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 4.8, published 29 September 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
U-Boot before 2026.10-rc3.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-71974?
No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.
How is CVE-2026-71974 attacked?
It is attacked with physical access.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-71974?
Check whether you run U-Boot at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

Technical details

The read_slotted_partition() function in U-Boot's Android boot method lacks bounds validation on image size, permitting an out-of-bounds write when processing a crafted boot image with an oversized header. Physical access is required to supply malicious boot media; the vulnerability is most impactful on devices without Android Verified Boot (AVB) enabled. Attackers can overwrite bootloader memory to achieve code execution during the boot process.

Affected products

  • U-Boot U-Boot before 2026.10-rc3

Timeline

  • 2026-09-29: disclosed

References

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