CVE-2026-52981Network attack vector

Remote service interruption via leaked network buffers

Published Jun 24, 2026 · Updated Jun 24, 2026

Resource exhaustion in affected Linux Kernel branches allows remote attackers to interrupt service via traffic reaching neigh_xmit. When no neighbor table is initialized, neigh_xmit returns -EAFNOSUPPORT before its out_kfree_skb path, while callers ignore the error and leave the SKB allocated. Traffic must reach this networking path with an uninitialized neighbor table, such as when IPv6 is disabled; repeated calls leak kernel memory and interrupt service.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.53%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Resource exhaustion in affected Linux Kernel branches allows remote attackers to interrupt service via traffic reaching neigh_xmit. When no neighbor table is initialized, neigh_xmit returns -EAFNOSUPPORT before its out_kfree_skb path, while callers ignore the error and leave the SKB allocated. Traffic must reach this networking path with an uninitialized neighbor table, such as when IPv6 is disabled; repeated calls leak kernel memory and interrupt service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-52981
Published
Jun 24, 2026
Updated
Jun 24, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499.001
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 24, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jun 24, 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=4.1
  2. Affected versionversion=4fd3d7d9e868ffbdb0e7a67c5c8e9dfdcd846a62 <0084712e0bee204b284510cdb63182fd5a30c2b7
  3. Affected versionversion=4fd3d7d9e868ffbdb0e7a67c5c8e9dfdcd846a62 <4438113be604ee67a7bf4f81da6e1cca41332ce4
  4. Affected versionversion=4fd3d7d9e868ffbdb0e7a67c5c8e9dfdcd846a62 <445e45a2c3a078316a62d2d331a570cf34ef5079
  5. Affected versionversion=4fd3d7d9e868ffbdb0e7a67c5c8e9dfdcd846a62 <63063ba60d2dc334e34f1e3f9271d7f3f6f30307
  6. Affected versionversion=4fd3d7d9e868ffbdb0e7a67c5c8e9dfdcd846a62 <8a89054a1ec0767aec25ed2bbac933da6ba3cf5a
  7. Affected versionversion=4fd3d7d9e868ffbdb0e7a67c5c8e9dfdcd846a62 <9247d59ca15bf60a57dca08103f055d8a4340877

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=4.1; version=4fd3d7d9e868ffbdb0e7a67c5c8e9dfdcd846a62 <0084712e0bee204b284510cdb63182fd5a30c2b7; version=4fd3d7d9e868ffbdb0e7a67c5c8e9dfdcd846a62 <4438113be604ee67a7bf4f81da6e1cca41332ce4; version=4fd3d7d9e868ffbdb0e7a67c5c8e9dfdcd846a62 <445e45a2c3a078316a62d2d331a570cf34ef5079; version=4fd3d7d9e868ffbdb0e7a67c5c8e9dfdcd846a62 <63063ba60d2dc334e34f1e3f9271d7f3f6f30307; version=4fd3d7d9e868ffbdb0e7a67c5c8e9dfdcd846a62 <8a89054a1ec0767aec25ed2bbac933da6ba3cf5a; version=4fd3d7d9e868ffbdb0e7a67c5c8e9dfdcd846a62 <9247d59ca15bf60a57dca08103f055d8a4340877

Published CVSS scores

7.5kernel.orgCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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.

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No observations available

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

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
T1499.001OS Exhaustion Flood

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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