Local denial of service via unchecked fallback verdict
Published Aug 22, 2026 · Updated Aug 22, 2026
Improper input validation in Linux kernel traffic control allows local users to cause a denial of service via crafted fallback actions. The act_gact and act_police paths store out-of-range TCA_GACT_PROB.paction and TCA_POLICE_RESULT verdicts without the primary-action range check, so TC_ACT_CONSUMED prevents sk_buff release. Creating the action requires local low-privileged access, and each matching packet leaks its buffer without bound until system availability is exhausted.
Summary
What happened
Improper input validation in Linux kernel traffic control allows local users to cause a denial of service via crafted fallback actions. The act_gact and act_police paths store out-of-range TCA_GACT_PROB.paction and TCA_POLICE_RESULT verdicts without the primary-action range check, so TC_ACT_CONSUMED prevents sk_buff release. Creating the action requires local low-privileged access, and each matching packet leaks its buffer without bound until system availability is exhausted.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-74620
- Published
- Aug 22, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 22, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-911, T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 22, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 22, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=5.3
- Affected versionversion=720f22fed81bc6fd1765db7014651b6718887bea <2e8df8c9190335475a3b64a159d3efd8cdd1cb73
- Affected versionversion=720f22fed81bc6fd1765db7014651b6718887bea <5344e01179baa37547ab29fd7b8614f83faa190c
- Affected versionversion=720f22fed81bc6fd1765db7014651b6718887bea <6bcb8839aa2d686964a4154650afc4db91e1c514
- Affected versionversion=720f22fed81bc6fd1765db7014651b6718887bea <725efc2ab4a40affc4e285a2dc4896d103948a6c
- Affected versionversion=720f22fed81bc6fd1765db7014651b6718887bea <883b56ae58fe657d8497806c7059646e9ba6dbd0
- Affected versionversion=720f22fed81bc6fd1765db7014651b6718887bea <92f00f1d4d204a428b38e26fce3baee144b6955d
- Affected versionversion=720f22fed81bc6fd1765db7014651b6718887bea <efa58aeb6a99028b1fbc3ab2f31ba3a881211ad4
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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