CVE-2026-14296
nRF54H20: MCUBoot can be tricked to executing unauthenticated code
Description
When using the Direct XIP update strategy, the main application image starts other cores (i.e. radio core), based on the currently active slot without additional verification. The MCUboot in the bare (upstream) configuration assumes that if there is at least a single slot for each image available, the system is bootable and continues the boot process. This may lead to a situation when MCUboot picks different slot for different images (i.e. (a) for the main application and (b) for the radio image), boots the main application (from slot (a)) that afterwards starts the radio image by providing an address of the unauthenticated slot ((a) instead of (b)).
INFO
Published Date :
Sept. 7, 2026, 8:17 a.m.
Last Modified :
Sept. 7, 2026, 8:17 a.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
30a5e7fb-040d-440a-8cdf-a4a2068ce72e
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-14296
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
No affected product recoded yet
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | 30a5e7fb-040d-440a-8cdf-a4a2068ce72e |
Solution
- Update MCUboot to enforce image verification.
- Configure bootloader to check image authenticity.
- Modify application to validate radio core image.
- Ensure consistent slot usage for all images.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-14296.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://docs.nordicsemi.com/r/bundle/struct_sa/page/struct/sa.html |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-14296 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-14296
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-14296 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-14296 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
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New CVE Received by 30a5e7fb-040d-440a-8cdf-a4a2068ce72e
Sep. 07, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description When using the Direct XIP update strategy, the main application image starts other cores (i.e. radio core), based on the currently active slot without additional verification. The MCUboot in the bare (upstream) configuration assumes that if there is at least a single slot for each image available, the system is bootable and continues the boot process. This may lead to a situation when MCUboot picks different slot for different images (i.e. (a) for the main application and (b) for the radio image), boots the main application (from slot (a)) that afterwards starts the radio image by providing an address of the unauthenticated slot ((a) instead of (b)). Added CVSS V3.1 AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Added CWE CWE-347 Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/14xxx/CVE-2026-14296.json">CVE-2026-14296</a> Added Reference https://docs.nordicsemi.com/r/bundle/struct_sa/page/struct/sa.html