Integer truncation in Linux kernel flow dissector
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 flow dissector computes the transport header offset with a 16-bit minimum, so when a socket buffer's length modulo 65536 is smaller than the network header offset, the offset becomes a wrong small value. The dissection still returns success, so the transport header can point inside the Ethernet header. Socket buffers larger than 64KB, such as GSO frames built through AF_PACKET with PACKET_VNET_HDR, can have this length.
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: flow_dissector: avoid u16 truncation of skb->len when computing thoff __skb_flow_dissect() computes key_control->thoff using: key_control->thoff = min_t(u16, nhoff, skb ? skb->len : hlen); min_t(u16, ...) casts both arguments to u16 before comparing them. Whenever skb->len (or hlen) modulo 65536 is smaller than nhoff, the truncated length wins and thoff is set to a bogus small value, even when the dissection succeeded. For example, an IPv4/TCP frame with skb->len == 65540 and nhoff == 34 gets thoff == 4, so callers such as skb_probe_transport_header() point the transport header inside the Ethernet header. Such skbs are not exotic: - At the time of commit d0c081b49137 ("flow_dissector: properly cap thoff field"), AF_PACKET with PACKET_VNET_HDR could already build GSO skbs larger than 64KB (MTU checks are skipped for GSO, and alloc_skb_with_frags() accepted up to MAX_SKB_FRAGS (17) order-0 pages on top of the linear part). - BIG TCP now makes skbs larger than 64KB common. - The following patch makes tun_get_user() dissect IFF_TAP frames before eth_type_trans() pulls the Ethernet header, so a GSO frame carrying a 65522..65535 byte L3 packet will be dissected with skb->len in [65536, 65549]. Compare as u32 instead. If the resulting offset cannot be represented in the u16 key_control->thoff, cap it to U16_MAX and report the dissection as failed rather than silently returning a wrong transport offset. thoff is still set on failure, as some callers (such as eth_get_headlen()) use it regardless of the return value.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Upgrade to Linux kernel 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.57, 7.2.11 or 7.3, or to the stable releases 4.5, 4.10 or 4.15 that include the fix. Red Hat lists Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 with no fix planned, and lists Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, 9 and 10 and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 and 5 with no fix available.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 4.5, 4.10, 4.15
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.57, 7.2.11, 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
- 2026-10-23 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98955
- 2026-10-23 Alias added: GHSA-935w-9g6m-g833
- 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-29 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Fix available: Linux/Linux@2c2f82b696c5e877f60ea77b7784e906a5e63014, Linux/Linux@3f6000fdf8a57b9786669869af8a3e050b541bf3, 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/3f6000fdf8a57b9786669869af8a3e050b541bf3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2c2f82b696c5e877f60ea77b7784e906a5e63014
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d44e66f5dd99319a32e378b610af7fcf78da985a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d9e08836d06c84abb18470c94b12b131eaccdc7d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/50d0cd575cab763f833d6ac6eb6550b23a0b3dae
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9993e6a0ac1b5b3101ffba702cacb9f42b9909d8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/52efce4755a4b8b82039caa773645ffc80b25362
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/99bda1ecbd56905f8bd934b9cdccd3bd251192b1
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Sources
- CVE-2026-98955 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98955 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-935w-9g6m-g833 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98955 · 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