---
id: "CVE-2026-98578"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-98578"]
title: "Linux kernel NFC driver: missing length check reads past a buffer"
severity: "low"
cvss: null
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "infrastructure"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["embedded", "infrastructure", "kernel", "linux", "nfc"]
not_affected_if: ["module-not-loaded", "no-st21nfca-hardware"]
published_at: "2026-10-18T16:17:10+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T21:57:15+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-25T05:23:06+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98578", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T21:57:15+00:00"}]
---

# Linux kernel NFC driver: missing length check reads past a buffer

The st21nfca NFC driver's ISO15693 inventory handler strips a two-byte prefix without checking the data is long enough, then reads a DSFID byte that may be missing. An attacker able to send crafted NFC response data could cause an out-of-bounds read in the kernel.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## How to check

- `uname -r` and compare against the kernel version that carries the fix, which the sources do not state
- `lsmod | grep st21nfca` to see whether the st21nfca NFC driver is loaded at all

## Fix

- Update the Linux kernel to a release that includes the upstream commit validating ISO15693 inventory length; the sources do not name the version.
- Blacklist or leave unloaded the `st21nfca` module on systems without this NFC hardware.

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T21:57:15+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98578

## From the sources

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

nfc: st21nfca: validate ISO15693 inventory length

The ISO15693 inventory helper removes a two-byte prefix without checking
that it exists, then accepts a one-byte remainder before reading data[1] as
the DSFID.

Require the prefix and at least two remaining bytes before copying the UID
data and reading the DSFID.

---

_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_