# CISA KEV adds VMware ESX, Linux kernel flaws

Published: 2026-10-28 · Severity: severe · Sectors: Government (National), Technology, Infrastructure
Canonical: https://vorant.io/reports/9e0bcabc-c0b6-56e1-b20c-b8a80b99daa0/cisa-kev-adds-vmware-esx-linux-kernel-flaws
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> CISA added CVE-2026-41709 (VMware ESX logging flaw) and CVE-2026-46300 (Linux kernel flaw) to its KEV catalog as actively exploited.

Source: cisa.gov — https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2026/10/28/cisa-adds-two-known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog

## What to check

- Applies to: The 2 CVEs named below. Whether you run an affected version is not assessed: check the versions the source lists.
- Exploitation: CISA lists CVE-2026-41709 and CVE-2026-46300 as exploited in the wild.

CISA has added two vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) Catalog based on confirmed evidence of active exploitation. The first, CVE-2026-41709, affects Broadcom VMware ESX and is described as an insufficient logging vulnerability, which could allow attackers to evade detection or forensic analysis post-compromise. The second, CVE-2026-46300, is a missing initialization of a variable vulnerability in the Linux kernel, a class of flaw that can lead to information disclosure or privilege escalation depending on the affected code path.

Under Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 26-04, Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies must prioritize remediation of KEV Catalog entries that grant total control of an asset post-exploitation, especially on internet-facing systems, and must assess whether systems were compromised prior to patching. While BOD 26-04 is mandatory only for FCEB agencies, CISA recommends all organizations treat KEV Catalog entries as high-priority patching targets given confirmed in-the-wild exploitation.

Defenders running VMware ESX or Linux systems should identify affected versions, apply vendor patches as they become available, and review logging and monitoring configurations—particularly important given the ESX flaw's nature involves insufficient logging, which may hamper incident detection and response efforts.

## Mentioned in this report

- Vulnerabilities: CVE-2026-41709 (KEV), CVE-2026-46300 (KEV)

Source reporting: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2026/10/28/cisa-adds-two-known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog

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