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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2026-32724: PX4-Autopilot · Use After Free

Affects PX4-AutopilotSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.3 Medium : upgrade to 1.17.0-rc1 when convenient.

Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 11:52 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
5.3Medium
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 18% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch
Available – fixed in 1.17.0-rc1
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 13 Mar 2026

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponized: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 30 Oct 2026.

What to do

Upgrade PX4-Autopilot to 1.17.0-rc1.

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
PX4PX4-AutopilotAffected
  • <1.17.0-rc1
Fixed in
  • 1.17.0-rc1
GitHubpx4/PX4-Autopilotpkg:github/px4/PX4-AutopilotOther threatsAffected
  • =1.17.0-rc1
Fixed in–

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should upgrade PX4-Autopilot to version 1.17.0-rc1 or later where the issue is fixed. Until upgrading is possible, restrict MAVLink communication to trusted and authenticated sources only, ideally over secure channels such as encrypted telemetry links or VPNs to prevent unauthorized message injection. Implement network segmentation and firewall rules to limit access to MAVLink ports from untrusted networks. Employ runtime monitoring and anomaly detection on drone telemetry to identify unusual MAVLink message patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. Developers should review and harden concurrent thread handling in PX4 code to prevent similar race conditions. Additionally, consider implementing watchdog mechanisms to safely recover or land drones in case of autopilot crashes. Regularly audit and update drone software and firmware to incorporate security patches promptly.

Description

PX4 autopilot is a flight control solution for drones. Prior to 1.17.0-rc1, a heap-use-after-free is detected in the MavlinkShell::available() function. The issue is caused by a race condition between the MAVLink receiver thread (which handles shell creation/destruction) and the telemetry sender thread (which polls the shell for available output). The issue is remotely triggerable via MAVLink SERIAL_CONTROL messages (ID 126), which can be sent by an external ground station or automated script. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.17.0-rc1.

References

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