CVE-2026-31742

Local kernel crash via stale Unicode buffer

Published May 1, 2026 · Updated May 1, 2026

Out-of-bounds memory access in Linux Kernel 6.18.20 through 6.18.21 and 6.19.10 through 6.19.11 allows local users to crash the kernel. After an alternate-screen entry and console resize, leave_alt_screen restores vc_saved_uni_lines for the old dimensions, so csi_J reads beyond its row-pointer array. A local user must drive the virtual terminal through that sequence; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel oops and service interruption.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.13%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Out-of-bounds memory access in Linux Kernel 6.18.20 through 6.18.21 and 6.19.10 through 6.19.11 allows local users to crash the kernel. After an alternate-screen entry and console resize, leave_alt_screen restores vc_saved_uni_lines for the old dimensions, so csi_J reads beyond its row-pointer array. A local user must drive the virtual terminal through that sequence; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel oops and service interruption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-31742
Published
May 1, 2026
Updated
May 1, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-125, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 1, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 1, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=1cf66bd9127447c57295f5199029e8d8b47c6c67 <428fdf55301e6c8fa5a36b426240797b1cf86570
  2. Affected versionversion=5eb608319bb56464674a71b4a66ea65c6c435d64 <40014493cece72a0be5672cd86763e53fb3ec613
  3. Affected versionversion=6.18.20 <6.18.22
  4. Affected versionversion=6.19.10 <6.19.12
  5. Affected versionversion=c4efef65a46f610418a3f69149c51492d31c8591 <891d790fdb5c96c6e1d2841e06ee6c360f2d1288

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=1cf66bd9127447c57295f5199029e8d8b47c6c67 <428fdf55301e6c8fa5a36b426240797b1cf86570; version=5eb608319bb56464674a71b4a66ea65c6c435d64 <40014493cece72a0be5672cd86763e53fb3ec613; version=6.18.20 <6.18.22; version=6.19.10 <6.19.12; version=c4efef65a46f610418a3f69149c51492d31c8591 <891d790fdb5c96c6e1d2841e06ee6c360f2d1288

Published CVSS scores

7.8kernel.orgCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-125Out-of-bounds Read
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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