Kernel soft lockup via amplified qdisc packet lengths
Published Sep 17, 2026 · Updated Sep 17, 2026
DoS in Linux net/sched allows local users to trigger kernel soft lockups through a crafted queueing-discipline size table. __qdisc_calculate_pkt_len() leaves size-table amplification unbounded, making DRR or ETS refill deficits billions of times under the qdisc lock when quantum is 1. Exploitation requires enabled scheduler support and CAP_NET_ADMIN, including namespace-local capability where unprivileged user and network namespaces are available; the resulting RCU stall causes a kernel panic when kernel.softlockup_panic=1.
Summary
What happened
DoS in Linux net/sched allows local users to trigger kernel soft lockups through a crafted queueing-discipline size table. __qdisc_calculate_pkt_len() leaves size-table amplification unbounded, making DRR or ETS refill deficits billions of times under the qdisc lock when quantum is 1. Exploitation requires enabled scheduler support and CAP_NET_ADMIN, including namespace-local capability where unprivileged user and network namespaces are available; the resulting RCU stall causes a kernel panic when kernel.softlockup_panic=1.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-90058
- Published
- Sep 17, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 17, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 17, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 17, 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.
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <0bc5a6280a132a2170c6fa742436e01b635f02de
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <16d21a27df3f50b7251c9388fc5a7ab22703b469
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <1a5c26e586481bc82abc19ac92c3d9f10518f525
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <448c34421b38ec7c93a0060a885218ca319d382b
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <4f0f4b09a95ef602fbdae948326beadd9c20eab3
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <6e78792d8ce1fa3561713860ee8086901dde4f99
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <82fdbf49b9f7528c82bf608cfa9710e5f81a198c
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <8f735d64382dcf162f4276d6699d03ad2f859c0b
- Affected versionversion=2.6.12
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
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Get started to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Get started