I/O interruption via zero zoned namespace geometry
Published Sep 16, 2026 · Updated Sep 16, 2026
Improper error handling in the Linux NVMe host driver 6.9 allows attackers to interrupt I/O through a failed zone-information query. nvme_update_ns_info_block accepts a positive NVMe status as success, passes zero-initialized geometry to nvme_update_zone_info, and leaves a live zoned queue with a zero zone size. Reachability requires a device, firmware, or NVMe-oF target that fails the Identify command; subsequent I/O reaches an invalid negative shift and can destabilize the host.
Summary
What happened
Improper error handling in the Linux NVMe host driver 6.9 allows attackers to interrupt I/O through a failed zone-information query. nvme_update_ns_info_block accepts a positive NVMe status as success, passes zero-initialized geometry to nvme_update_zone_info, and leaves a live zoned queue with a zero zone size. Reachability requires a device, firmware, or NVMe-oF target that fails the Identify command; subsequent I/O reaches an invalid negative shift and can destabilize the host.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-89971
- Published
- Sep 16, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 16, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- Unavailable
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 16, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 16, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=6.9
- Affected versionversion=c85c9ab926a592e2f59f7d9a6ca7d6562843d8fa <3838e80fcfb32e62baffb63c6dc0a60153665a4d
- Affected versionversion=c85c9ab926a592e2f59f7d9a6ca7d6562843d8fa <7fad53ae2052a2b4fc7ca567d6555bdb1176ba35
- Affected versionversion=c85c9ab926a592e2f59f7d9a6ca7d6562843d8fa <bb6dafa79040357cf5043836e1db108c2af8b1e1
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What is affected?
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Attacks
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Technologies
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