Kernel warnings via unlocked offline self-tests
Published Oct 18, 2026 · Updated Oct 18, 2026
Missing locking in Linux 7.2 ethtool allows local users to trigger kernel warnings through offline network-interface self-tests. ETHTOOL_TEST invokes fbnic or bnxt teardown and reopening with only the device-instance lock, omitting the required rtnl_lock. Invocation requires CAP_NET_ADMIN and an affected network device; documented results are RCU and RTNL warnings, with no demonstrated crash or privilege escalation.
Summary
What happened
Missing locking in Linux 7.2 ethtool allows local users to trigger kernel warnings through offline network-interface self-tests. ETHTOOL_TEST invokes fbnic or bnxt teardown and reopening with only the device-instance lock, omitting the required rtnl_lock. Invocation requires CAP_NET_ADMIN and an affected network device; documented results are RCU and RTNL warnings, with no demonstrated crash or privilege escalation.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98619
- Published
- Oct 18, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 18, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
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=7.2
- Affected versionversion=f994752b11273ded7ec6b49ae5c1d319eef21743 <1b82958f3f035df5ccaab5430a2302f08a5d5351
- Affected versionversion=f994752b11273ded7ec6b49ae5c1d319eef21743 <4ca1503491f1f25a954c13ac5775bf6775c5abc8
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
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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