CVE-2026-41434 in OP-TEE
Summary
by MITRE • 07/06/2026
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 3.10.0 and prior to version 4.11.0, an unbounded recursion can crash the PKCS#11 TA. Version 4.11.0 contains a patch. No known workarounds are available.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/06/2026
The vulnerability under discussion affects OP-TEE, a Trusted Execution Environment implementation specifically designed for arm cortex-a processors utilizing TrustZone technology alongside a non-secure linux kernel environment. This security flaw manifests as an unbounded recursion condition within the PKCS#11 Trusted Application component of the TEE framework, representing a critical design oversight that can lead to system instability and potential denial of service conditions. The vulnerability exists in versions 3.10.0 through 4.10.9 of OP-TEE, with the issue being resolved in version 4.11.0 through a targeted patch implementation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate recursion bounds checking within the PKCS#11 TA implementation, which processes cryptographic operations and key management functions essential to secure application execution. When certain cryptographic operations are performed through the PKCS#11 interface, the underlying code fails to properly validate or limit recursive function calls, allowing an attacker to potentially trigger infinite recursion sequences that exhaust system resources. This unbounded recursion pattern directly violates security principles outlined in cwe-674, which specifically addresses "Uncontrolled Recursion" as a dangerous coding practice that can lead to stack overflow conditions and system crashes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system instability, as it represents a potential attack surface that could be exploited to compromise the integrity of the TEE environment. The PKCS#11 TA serves as a critical interface for cryptographic operations in secure contexts, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for systems relying on OP-TEE for security isolation. When the recursion occurs, it leads to complete system crash conditions that can result in denial of service for legitimate users while potentially exposing underlying system state information through memory corruption patterns. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that no known workarounds exist, meaning organizations cannot implement temporary mitigations while awaiting patch deployment.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with attack techniques described in the mitre att&ck framework under the "execution" and "privilege escalation" domains, as it can potentially allow attackers to disrupt service availability or gain unauthorized access through system instability. The absence of workarounds makes this particularly problematic for embedded systems and IoT devices that may not have easy update mechanisms, creating persistent exposure windows for attackers who can leverage this recursion flaw in their attack vectors. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching to version 4.11.0 or later to address this critical security gap and ensure continued secure operation of their TrustZone-based environments.