Kernel crash via signed packet-length conversion
Published Sep 25, 2026 · Updated Sep 25, 2026
Integer conversion in Linux kernel af_packet code allows local users to crash the kernel through a crafted TX_RING packet length. tpacket_parse_header() stores the user-controlled unsigned tp_len field in a signed int, so values above INT_MAX become negative and bypass the upper-bound check. Triggering the BUG requires local access to an AF_PACKET TX_RING socket and interrupts the affected host rather than exposing or modifying data.
Summary
What happened
Integer conversion in Linux kernel af_packet code allows local users to crash the kernel through a crafted TX_RING packet length. tpacket_parse_header() stores the user-controlled unsigned tp_len field in a signed int, so values above INT_MAX become negative and bypass the upper-bound check. Triggering the BUG requires local access to an AF_PACKET TX_RING socket and interrupts the affected host rather than exposing or modifying data.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98095
- Published
- Sep 25, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 25, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 25, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- 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.
- Affected versionversion=2.6.31
- Affected versionversion=69e3c75f4d541a6eb151b3ef91f34033cb3ad6e1 <72abe77e88c3f1f71c5348124e9b28e285f26950
- Affected versionversion=69e3c75f4d541a6eb151b3ef91f34033cb3ad6e1 <73e594c19b4f815d8343461cec7074c4713bbde7
- Affected versionversion=69e3c75f4d541a6eb151b3ef91f34033cb3ad6e1 <9d714076ff398ba8cc5ae0ae146f4a1ea0bbf5e8
- Affected versionversion=69e3c75f4d541a6eb151b3ef91f34033cb3ad6e1 <c6b3db727876a027013aa4ccb6913a153a2af41a
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- syzbot AF_PACKET TX_RING crash reproducerproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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