MACsec SecY used before initialization in Linux kernel driver
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: 6 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The macsec driver in the Linux kernel from 4.6 is affected before the fixes in 6.18.55, 7.2.9 and 7.3. It registers the MACsec network device before initializing its SecY, so notifications during registration report uninitialized attributes such as the SCI. Creating a MACsec device with MAC offload over an LRO-capable lower device triggers a kernel warning.
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: macsec: initialize SecY before registering the netdevice Creating a MACsec device with MAC offload over an LRO-capable lower device triggers a warning in rtmsg_ifinfo_build_skb() when IPv4 forwarding is enabled by default. register_netdevice() invokes inetdev_init(), which disables LRO and emits a NETDEV_FEAT_CHANGE notification. This reaches macsec_fill_info() before macsec_add_dev() initializes the SecY. key_len is still zero, so macsec_fill_info() returns -EMSGSIZE and trips the WARN_ON in rtmsg_ifinfo_build_skb(), even though the skb has enough space. Even without the warning, notifications during registration can report uninitialized SecY attributes, including the SCI. This ordering has existed since the driver was introduced. Initialize the SecY and apply the new-link attributes before registration. Move MAC address inheritance into macsec_newlink() so the SCI can also be initialized before registration-time notifications report it. Move the per-CPU statistics and metadata destination allocation into ndo_init(), and release partial allocations on failure.
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 6.18.55, 7.2.9 or 7.3. Red Hat's plan for affected Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, 9 and 10 and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 and 5 is none available.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-07
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.18.55, 7.2.9, 7.3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. 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 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 |
Not affected: 1 product
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
Timeline
- 2026-10-23 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98929
- 2026-10-23 Alias added: GHSA-83cv-x2cm-qpmg
- 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-29 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-11-07 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
More Linux vulnerabilities
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- 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-2026-98929 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98929 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-83cv-x2cm-qpmg · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98929 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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