Kernel crash via zero topology divisor
Published Oct 14, 2026 · Updated Oct 14, 2026
Division by zero in Linux 6.18 x86 AMD node initialization allows attackers to crash the kernel via inconsistent virtual topology. The amd_smn_init function divides the root count by the node count, then uses the unchecked zero result as a modulo divisor. The crash occurs during initialization on Xen PVH dom0 with two nodes and one root; attacker control of this topology is not documented.
Summary
What happened
Division by zero in Linux 6.18 x86 AMD node initialization allows attackers to crash the kernel via inconsistent virtual topology. The amd_smn_init function divides the root count by the node count, then uses the unchecked zero result as a modulo divisor. The crash occurs during initialization on Xen PVH dom0 with two nodes and one root; attacker control of this topology is not documented.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98390
- Published
- Oct 14, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 14, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- Unavailable
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 14, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 14, 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?
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- Affected versionversion=0a4b61d9c2e496b5f0a10e29e355a1465c8738bb <72bd92bd8190d7869ecb462649ca40f297822a33
- Affected versionversion=0a4b61d9c2e496b5f0a10e29e355a1465c8738bb <9273a90465d58b82aca4bea71451ef6bee084928
- Affected versionversion=0a4b61d9c2e496b5f0a10e29e355a1465c8738bb <94e984d8858a3228952b02f84e66610961098cc2
- Affected versionversion=6.17.8 <6.18
- Affected versionversion=6.18
- Affected versionversion=c4ad899a33198ab6335732c769835d035e66894a
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
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