Integer overflow in Linux kernel packet TX_RING byte count
Key facts
- Attack vector
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- Privileges required
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- User interaction
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- Attack complexity
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- Impact type
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- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
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- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 7 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel from 2.6.31 is affected in the net/packet TX_RING send path. The tpacket_snd function adds frame lengths to a signed integer, which wraps negative after enough transmissions and returns an impossible value that triggers a kernel BUG. A holder of CAP_NET_RAW can panic the host kernel when the system is configured to panic on oops.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/packet: prevent TX_RING byte count overflow tpacket_snd() drains every SEND_REQUEST frame in a TX ring and adds each valid packet length to the signed int len_sum. Userspace can recycle completed frames concurrently, so a single blocking send call is not bounded by the ring size. After enough successful transmissions len_sum wraps into the negative range. In particular, 65536 65535-byte frames followed by a 65007-byte frame produce 0xfffffdef, or -EIOCBQUEUED. sock_sendmsg_nosec() treats that as an impossible return and triggers a BUG. On systems configured to panic on oops, a CAP_NET_RAW holder can panic the host kernel. Stop before the next frame would make the byte count exceed INT_MAX. The positive short count leaves that frame pending for a later send call. A two-thread TPACKET_V2 reproducer triggered the BUG on an arm64 build of Linux 7.3-rc4. With this change, the same reproducer returned the expected positive short count without an oops.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 2.6.31 and later | 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10, 7.3 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.31 and later Fixed in 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10, 7.3 Patch available CNA
Remediation
Upgrade to Linux kernel 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10 or 7.3. The sources list no fixed version for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 or for OpenShift Container Platform 4 and 5.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10, 7.3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Timeline
- 2026-10-18 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98850
- 2026-10-18 Alias added: GHSA-prpm-w567-3rvc
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-21 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@ae169d318d5d23bac76ece90a7e2b5cb760ed043 · CNA
- 2026-10-21 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-10-24 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-24 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Fix available: Linux/Linux@1e6ee93cea4b77253b1b81eb5759899f959ebee3, Linux/Linux@4848c175b5984e6358bcca794ac1dee4d527efcc, Linux/[email protected] +3 · CNA
- 2026-10-30 3 new references · CNA
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1e6ee93cea4b77253b1b81eb5759899f959ebee3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/70fefff0801d4c5405e515592d1e7ad1351530cd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4848c175b5984e6358bcca794ac1dee4d527efcc
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ae169d318d5d23bac76ece90a7e2b5cb760ed043
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/be12b221c0301111eeb023be04add3c6ad7c21fe
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/69ca64bbb528898916f309552053c32a04a36ebc
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9fd63d284e251332f4874ef9023cde472f315f86
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2cf81fc9505b148b1b70068303ea6ea4b1212403
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Sources
- CVE-2026-98850 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98850 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-prpm-w567-3rvc · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98850 · 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