Out-of-bounds write in Linux kernel nvmet-auth challenge response
Key facts
- Attack vector
- —
- Privileges required
- —
- User interaction
- —
- Attack complexity
- —
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- —
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 13 fixed, 2 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel from 6.0 contains an out-of-bounds write in the nvmet-auth NVMe target authentication code. The challenge size is calculated with sizeof on a void pointer, which undercounts the fixed header by 15 bytes, so a short AUTH_RECEIVE buffer can pass the check and the challenge is copied past the end of its allocation.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-07
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nvmet-auth: fix out-of-bounds write in nvmet_auth_challenge() nvmet_auth_challenge() receives its output buffer as a void pointer. sizeof(*d) therefore evaluates to one with GCC and undercounts the fixed challenge header by 15 bytes. A short AUTH_RECEIVE buffer can pass the check before the challenge is copied past the end of its allocation. Use the typed challenge pointer when calculating the response size. BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in nvmet_execute_auth_receive (drivers/nvme/target/fabrics-cmd-auth.c:442 drivers/nvme/target/fabrics-cmd-auth.c:569) Write of size 32 by task kworker/1:1H/64 Workqueue: nvmet_tcp_wq nvmet_tcp_io_work Call Trace: nvmet_execute_auth_receive (drivers/nvme/target/fabrics-cmd-auth.c:442 drivers/nvme/target/fabrics-cmd-auth.c:569) nvmet_tcp_try_recv_pdu (drivers/nvme/target/tcp.c:1119 drivers/nvme/target/tcp.c:1243) nvmet_tcp_io_work (drivers/nvme/target/tcp.c:1350 drivers/nvme/target/tcp.c:1382 drivers/nvme/target/tcp.c:1445) process_one_work (kernel/workqueue.c:3322) worker_thread (kernel/workqueue.c:3405 kernel/workqueue.c:3486) kthread (kernel/kthread.c:436) ret_from_fork (arch/x86/kernel/process.c:158) ret_from_fork_asm (arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:245) The buggy address is located 16 bytes inside of allocated 33-byte region [ffff888000554e80, ffff888000554ea1) Kernel panic - not syncing: KASAN: panic_on_warn set ...
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Update the Linux kernel to 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10 or 7.3, depending on the branch in use. Red Hat fixes its Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 and 9 kernels in RHSA-2026:93413 and RHSA-2026:93412, and OpenShift Container Platform 4.22 in RHSA-2026:95346. Red Hat lists no fix available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-07
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10, 7.3
Red Hat 3 advisories
- RHSA-2026:95346 Released 2026-11-06 · Red Hat rating CriticalOpenShift Container Platform 4.22.22 bug fix and security update
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.22 rhcos-aarch64-4.22.9.8.202611032353-0, rhcos-ppc64le-4.22.9.8.202611032353-0, rhcos-s390x-4.22.9.8.202611032353-0 +1
- RHSA-2026:93413 Released 2026-11-01 · Red Hat rating Importantkernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update
- 10Base-SMTV kernel-modules-internal-6.12.0-211.72.1.el10_2
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) kernel-64k-debug-devel-6.12.0-211.72.1.el10_2, kernel-64k-debug-devel-matched-6.12.0-211.72.1.el10_2, kernel-64k-devel-6.12.0-211.72.1.el10_2 +12
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 10) kernel-6.12.0-211.72.1.el10_2, kernel-64k-6.12.0-211.72.1.el10_2, kernel-64k-core-6.12.0-211.72.1.el10_2 +29
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10) kernel-tools-libs-devel-6.12.0-211.72.1.el10_2, libperf-6.12.0-211.72.1.el10_2
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Hidden (v. 10) kernel-modules-internal-6.12.0-211.72.1.el10_2
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 10) kernel-rt-6.12.0-211.72.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-64k-6.12.0-211.72.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-64k-core-6.12.0-211.72.1.el10_2 +21
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 10) kernel-rt-6.12.0-211.72.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-core-6.12.0-211.72.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-debug-6.12.0-211.72.1.el10_2 +9
- RHSA-2026:93412 Released 2026-11-01 · Red Hat rating Importantkernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) kernel-64k-debug-devel-5.14.0-687.64.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-debug-devel-matched-5.14.0-687.64.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-devel-5.14.0-687.64.1.el9_8 +12
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) kernel-5.14.0-687.64.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-5.14.0-687.64.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-core-5.14.0-687.64.1.el9_8 +28
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) kernel-tools-libs-devel-5.14.0-687.64.1.el9_8, libperf-5.14.0-687.64.1.el9_8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-687.64.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-64k-5.14.0-687.64.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-64k-core-5.14.0-687.64.1.el9_8 +21
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-687.64.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-core-5.14.0-687.64.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-debug-5.14.0-687.64.1.el9_8 +9
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Important. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet |
| 10Base-SMTV | Fixed | RHSA-2026:93413 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:93413 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:93412 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:93413 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:93412 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:93413 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:93412 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Hidden (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:93413 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:93413 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:93412 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:93413 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:93412 |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.22 | Fixed | RHSA-2026:95346 |
Not affected: 4 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
Timeline
- 2026-10-18 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98725
- 2026-10-18 Alias added: GHSA-h488-w8xm-x8gw
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-21 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@ef4dfad231a787aded76e5b03788ddb18c8aebab · CNA
- 2026-10-21 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-10-23 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-23 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@e94ff1771c4cb398749789557f0b6feb871e3486 · CNA
- 2026-10-30 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-11-02 Fix available: RHSA-2026:93413 · Red Hat
- 2026-11-02 Fix available: RHSA-2026:93412 · Red Hat
- 2026-11-02 Fix available: 10Base-SMTV, Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10), Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) +9 · Red Hat
- 2026-11-07 Fix available: RHSA-2026:95346 · Red Hat
- 2026-11-07 Fix available: Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.22 · Red Hat
References
Other 6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e94ff1771c4cb398749789557f0b6feb871e3486
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ef4dfad231a787aded76e5b03788ddb18c8aebab
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9d61131acd742cf97ee64e453383e41b46568513
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7fd3c363eba4f2aceb4b3f31cd1cf65e0dcbaee4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8a9b4c0eef19c207663c1ee888257307c869ca86
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fa6778e030bed9841ddcdf96bc7018da9ac03562
More Linux vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2021-02452 Incorrect authorization in Ubuntu linux kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
Sources
- CVE-2026-98725 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98725 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-h488-w8xm-x8gw · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98725 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences