Kernel panic via reused zero-headroom PPP frame
Published Sep 25, 2026 · Updated Sep 25, 2026
Out-of-bounds access in Linux ppp_async allows remote attackers controlling a configured PPP peer to crash the kernel with crafted frames. process_input_packet() reuses an errored skb after removing its headroom, so a later tag push writes below skb->head and CCP can read before it. Exploitation requires root to configure PPP and control of its peer; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel panic.
Summary
What happened
Out-of-bounds access in Linux ppp_async allows remote attackers controlling a configured PPP peer to crash the kernel with crafted frames. process_input_packet() reuses an errored skb after removing its headroom, so a later tag push writes below skb->head and CCP can read before it. Exploitation requires root to configure PPP and control of its peer; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel panic.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98158
- Published
- Sep 25, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 25, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
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=2.6.15
- Affected versionversion=6722e78c90054101e6797d5944cdc81af9897a0a <0c53eb14975f029abd6b26896a460f0d2aaefe6b
- Affected versionversion=6722e78c90054101e6797d5944cdc81af9897a0a <717137221c7d90e7c98bda9a370c9da6cbf015e5
- Affected versionversion=6722e78c90054101e6797d5944cdc81af9897a0a <8dc5d98a16fa23c00999aecf10018c9f69fa5bf4
- Affected versionversion=6722e78c90054101e6797d5944cdc81af9897a0a <d0fc3dabfe67caf084e7119ceb2ee23f5ad2f2da
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
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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
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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