CVE-2026-71972: U-Boot through 2026.10-rc5 contains an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the video_display_rle8_bitmap function in drivers/video/video_bmp.c
Affects u-bootSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.9 Medium : upgrade to 2026.10-rc6 when convenient.
Data as of 12 Nov 2026, 23:24 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 12% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 2026.10-rc6
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 29 Sep 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by 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 13 Nov 2026.
What to do
Upgrade u-boot/u-boot to 2026.10-rc6.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
GitHubu-boot/u-bootpkg:github/u-boot/u-bootOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTSu-bootpkg:deb/ubuntu/u-boot?arch=source&distro=esm-infra-legacy/xenialOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTSu-bootpkg:deb/ubuntu/u-boot?arch=source&distro=esm-infra/bionicOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTSu-bootpkg:deb/ubuntu/u-boot?arch=source&distro=esm-infra/focalOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 22.04 LTSu-bootpkg:deb/ubuntu/u-boot?arch=source&distro=jammyOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 22.04 LTSu-boot-nezhapkg:deb/ubuntu/u-boot-nezha?arch=source&distro=jammyOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
Description
U-Boot versions up to 2026.10-rc5 contain an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the video_display_rle8_bitmap function within drivers/video/video_bmp.c. This flaw allows specially crafted RLE8-compressed BMP images to corrupt memory adjacent to the framebuffer, potentially causing the bootloader to crash. The vulnerability has a medium severity with a CVSS score of 5.9.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-71972 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/u-boot/u-boot/commit/5201e83342d64c2f438ea35158575f28225e752e (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/u-boot/u-boot (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/u-boot/u-boot/blob/v2026.10-rc5/drivers/video/video_bmp.c (opens in a new tab)
- vulncheck.com/advisories/u-boot-through-2026.10-rc5-out-of-bounds-write-in-bmp-rle8-decoder (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-71972 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-71972 (opens in a new tab)