Linux kernel mishandles IPv6 extension headers in tunneled packets
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: 1 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel IPv6 checksum offload code mishandles IPv6 extension header detection for tunneled packets in ranges such as 6.6.134 before 6.6.160 and from 7.0. The check skips the outer IPv6 header of tunnels such as ip6_gre and ip6_tunnel, and it miscounts header length when no outer transport header exists. Affected GSO packets are dropped with a kernel warning, and the inner header is read without a safe copy.
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: extend IPv6 exthdr detection of tunneled packets Commit c4336a07eb6b ("net: correctly handle tunneled traffic on IPV6_CSUM GSO fallback") split skb_gso_has_extension_hdr() into mutually exclusive branches on skb->encapsulation. This did not yet address all paths: 1. With skb->encapsulation set, the outer header is not checked. IPv6 tunnels such as ip6_gre and ip6_tunnel add an outer Destination Options header by default (encap_limit). Their GSO packets skip software GSO, then skb_csum_hwoffload_help() sees the outer extension header and calls skb_checksum_help() on the GSO skb, which warns and drops it. 2. Tunnels over IPv6 without an outer transport header, such as ip6_tunnel, leave skb->transport_header at the inner transport header. skb_network_header_len() then spans the outer IPv6, tunnel and inner IP headers, a false positive. 3. UDP tunnels without an inner network header, such as SCTP-in-UDP or PSP, have no inner IPv6 header to check. Decide on the outer header alone. 4. Directly dereferencing inner_ip_hdr(skb)->version without skb_header_pointer() is unsafe. Instead, check ipv6_ext_hdr(nexthdr) on the outer IPv6 header and, if set, on the inner IPv6 header. Read the headers with skb_header_pointer(). Keep the skb_network_header_len() check when !skb->encapsulation to also catch encapsulated packets without skb->encapsulation (e.g., virtio). Use the same helper in skb_csum_hwoffload_help(). Its open coded test has the false positive of (2) and ignores the inner header. Background: checksum offload of tunneled packets invariants: Non-GSO skb: - If the inner packet is CHECKSUM_PARTIAL, Local Checksum Offload computes the outer checksum in software and the device offloads only the inner L4 checksum. - If the inner packet is CHECKSUM_NONE (e.g., SCTP-in-UDP, ESP-in-UDP, Remote Checksum Offload), the device offloads the outer UDP or GRE checksum instead. GSO skb: - A device with NETIF_F_GSO_UDP_TUNNEL_CSUM or NETIF_F_GSO_GRE_CSUM computes both inner and outer checksums per segment. The outer checksum is seeded with only the pseudo-header checksum. A NETIF_F_IPV6_CSUM device must parse through the outer headers to reach the inner ones.
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 | 6.6.134 to before 6.6.160; 6.12.81 to before 6.12.113; 6.18.22 to before 6.18.56; 6.1.168 to before 6.2; 6.19.12 to before 6.20 | 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 6.2, 6.20 | Patch available | CNA |
| Linux | Linux | 7.0 and later | 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10, 7.3 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 6.6.134 to before 6.6.160; 6.12.81 to before 6.12.113; 6.18.22 to before 6.18.56; 6.1.168 to before 6.2; 6.19.12 to before 6.20 Fixed in 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 6.2, 6.20 Patch available CNA
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 7.0 and later Fixed in 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10, 7.3 Patch available CNA
Remediation
Upgrade the Linux kernel to 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 6.2, 6.20, 7.2.10 or 7.3, depending on the branch in use. Red Hat lists Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 as affected with no fix planned.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 6.2, 6.20
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 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 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
Not affected: 6 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5
Timeline
- 2026-10-18 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98852
- 2026-10-18 Alias added: GHSA-jqxw-mh4h-wm57
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-21 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@fdbd83c2d929ec968b37d2f75149a79440e328ff · CNA
- 2026-10-21 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-10-24 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-24 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fdbd83c2d929ec968b37d2f75149a79440e328ff
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/44ba9dc568c878b699d05e7cf699572dc9df4b59
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aa480f05aed7a9eee87d4a6fc90647fe9679c670
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cabacdf98e09eb74599c4d97d7bd7fd659598fb7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5f0764cb1c81a9712bce605d38efe6d844a70b29
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Sources
- CVE-2026-98852 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98852 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-jqxw-mh4h-wm57 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98852 · 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