Kernel-memory disclosure via uninitialized netlink padding
Published Aug 10, 2026 · Updated Aug 10, 2026
Information disclosure in Linux kernel drop_monitor allows local users to read uninitialized kernel memory through netlink messages. net_dm_packet_report_fill() and net_dm_hw_packet_report_fill() reserve aligned NET_DM_ATTR_PAYLOAD space but copy only the payload, leaving one to three padding bytes uninitialized when its length is not divisible by four. A low-privileged local user can receive those bytes; the observed consequence is a small kernel-memory disclosure through the software path.
Summary
What happened
Information disclosure in Linux kernel drop_monitor allows local users to read uninitialized kernel memory through netlink messages. net_dm_packet_report_fill() and net_dm_hw_packet_report_fill() reserve aligned NET_DM_ATTR_PAYLOAD space but copy only the payload, leaving one to three padding bytes uninitialized when its length is not divisible by four. A low-privileged local user can receive those bytes; the observed consequence is a small kernel-memory disclosure through the software path.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-68288
- Published
- Aug 10, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 10, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-908
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 10, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 10, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=5.4
- Affected versionversion=ca30707dee2bc8bc81cfd8b4277fe90f7ca6df1f <5e9c8baee0329fbefe7c67aea945e2a07f15e98b
- Affected versionversion=ca30707dee2bc8bc81cfd8b4277fe90f7ca6df1f <8fd6975d2aecc36b25ee82b6aef88e62a3527ccb
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What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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