Invalid memory access via packet-offset bounds-check underflow
Published Oct 18, 2026 · Updated Oct 18, 2026
Bounds-check failure in Linux BPF dynptrs allows attackers to obtain invalid memory pointers via crafted packet-buffer offsets. In include/linux/skbuff.h, skb_pointer_if_linear() subtracts an offset from the unsigned linear-buffer length before validating the offset, letting underflow admit an out-of-bounds pointer. Reachability requires an skb-backed BPF dynptr operation; the published evidence establishes invalid backing memory but does not establish required privileges, remote exploitability, or a specific crash or escalation outcome.
Summary
What happened
Bounds-check failure in Linux BPF dynptrs allows attackers to obtain invalid memory pointers via crafted packet-buffer offsets. In include/linux/skbuff.h, skb_pointer_if_linear() subtracts an offset from the unsigned linear-buffer length before validating the offset, letting underflow admit an out-of-bounds pointer. Reachability requires an skb-backed BPF dynptr operation; the published evidence establishes invalid backing memory but does not establish required privileges, remote exploitability, or a specific crash or escalation outcome.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98591
- Published
- Oct 18, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 18, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- Unavailable
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 18, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 18, 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=6.6
- Affected versionversion=6f5a630d7c57cd79b1f526a95e757311e32d41e5 <1196903a27cac5c929c7517e987a8d159f20c5e5
- Affected versionversion=6f5a630d7c57cd79b1f526a95e757311e32d41e5 <1b923538598be768e9f2f258a77a083d00e0c78b
- Affected versionversion=6f5a630d7c57cd79b1f526a95e757311e32d41e5 <37877a24758068742fef687a7cf5362360dde1d1
- Affected versionversion=6f5a630d7c57cd79b1f526a95e757311e32d41e5 <39ffceaddb10753eac12785dba6ac0673860b4ac
- Affected versionversion=6f5a630d7c57cd79b1f526a95e757311e32d41e5 <ed6eec97b534979dcf28b40c389cee57bd6561d4
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
No sourced classifications are available.
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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