CVE-2026-42546
What it is
OP-TEE is a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) designed as companion to a non-secure Linux kernel running on Arm; Cortex-A cores using the TrustZone technology. Starting in version 3.3.0 and prior to version 4.11.0, a resource leak exists in OP-TEE’s shared memory cleanup logic because the function `cleanup_shm_refs()` in `core/tee/entry_std.c` fails to apply a required bitmask (`OPTEE_MSG_ATTR_TYPE_MASK`) to parameter attributes. When processing non-contiguous memory parameters from a normal-world caller, the system fails to match the attribute type in its internal switch statement and skips the necessary mobj_put() call. This results in a persistent reference leak of `mobj_reg_shm` objects, which remain on internal lists with dangling refcounts. This affects non-FF-A configurations that support non-contiguous, non-secure shared memory. Over time, these accumulated leaks progressively consume the secure-world heap, degrading the system's ability to service trusted application operations and eventually requiring a reboot to recover. Version 4.11.0 contains a patch. No known workarounds are available.
At a glance
- Exploitability
- Can be exploited locally on the machine with a low-privilege account. Limited direct impact.
- Exploit odds
- 0.2% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS).
- Fix
- A patch, advisory or fixed version is referenced. Upgrade or apply it.
Timeline
- PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
- Last updatedMost recent change to the record
Why it ranks here
- Exploited in the wild: no, CISA does not list it.
- Exploit odds: 0.2% in the next 30 days (EPSS).
- Severity: 3.8 LOW (CVSS).
- Fix: a patch or advisory is linked.
Details
- Published
- Last modified
- Exploit probability
- 0.2% · EPSS, next 30 days
- Weakness
- CWE-770 · Allocation without limits
- Record status
- Analyzed
Affected
- Trustedfirmware op-tee ≤ 4.10.0
Attack profile CVSS 3.1 · 3.8
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- Low
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:L
Is it in your code?
Hand this to your coding agent. It searches your project for the affected products and checks versions. Nothing leaves your machine.
Read https://cve-list.com/agent/cve/CVE-2026-42546.md and follow it. Check whether this project is affected by CVE-2026-42546. Read only. Don't change anything and don't upload my code. Tell me yes, no or not sure, with the file as proof.
