CVE-2026-98022

System crash via oversized transmit-queue ring allocations

Published Sep 25, 2026 · Updated Sep 25, 2026

Uncontrolled allocation in Linux allows local users to crash the system by setting an oversized transmit queue length in a user namespace. netif_change_tx_queue_len() accepts an attacker-controlled value without an allocation-safe upper bound, and pfifo_fast, tun, and tap use it to size skb_array or ptr_ring buffers. Exploitation requires user and network namespaces plus the relevant networking options; repeated allocations exhaust global memory and terminate service.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
EPSS probability0.18%
Next 30 days · Oct 19, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Uncontrolled allocation in Linux allows local users to crash the system by setting an oversized transmit queue length in a user namespace. netif_change_tx_queue_len() accepts an attacker-controlled value without an allocation-safe upper bound, and pfifo_fast, tun, and tap use it to size skb_array or ptr_ring buffers. Exploitation requires user and network namespaces plus the relevant networking options; repeated allocations exhaust global memory and terminate service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-98022
Published
Sep 25, 2026
Updated
Sep 25, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 25, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 25, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=4.16
  2. Affected versionversion=6a643ddb5624be7e0694d49f5765a8d41c1ab6d0 <081340cf70a789b94b4174af54a63ffd49677a4e
  3. Affected versionversion=6a643ddb5624be7e0694d49f5765a8d41c1ab6d0 <66ab4c59b74db7ab53a1c9083feaaede393a96a0
  4. Affected versionversion=6a643ddb5624be7e0694d49f5765a8d41c1ab6d0 <81c0e02076989743a603806a5a4f44d2c40dc01f
  5. Affected versionversion=6a643ddb5624be7e0694d49f5765a8d41c1ab6d0 <a03b927bae4af5c23fd5315a237855c17cc8f422

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.16; version=6a643ddb5624be7e0694d49f5765a8d41c1ab6d0 <081340cf70a789b94b4174af54a63ffd49677a4e; version=6a643ddb5624be7e0694d49f5765a8d41c1ab6d0 <66ab4c59b74db7ab53a1c9083feaaede393a96a0; version=6a643ddb5624be7e0694d49f5765a8d41c1ab6d0 <81c0e02076989743a603806a5a4f44d2c40dc01f; version=6a643ddb5624be7e0694d49f5765a8d41c1ab6d0 <a03b927bae4af5c23fd5315a237855c17cc8f422

Published CVSS scores

No CVSS assessment is available in this record.

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 22, 2026Sep 28, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 28, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Application or System Exploitation 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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