Kernel crash via unbounded IP-in-IP segmentation recursion
Published Oct 18, 2026 · Updated Oct 18, 2026
Stack exhaustion in Linux IP-in-IP GSO allows local users to crash the kernel through deeply nested IP headers during segmentation. The inet_gso_segment() and ipv6_gso_segment() handlers recursively process inner headers without bounding callback depth; encap_level measures header bytes instead. The demonstrated unprivileged path requires private user and network namespaces and reaches a kernel panic, not demonstrated code execution.
Summary
What happened
Stack exhaustion in Linux IP-in-IP GSO allows local users to crash the kernel through deeply nested IP headers during segmentation. The inet_gso_segment() and ipv6_gso_segment() handlers recursively process inner headers without bounding callback depth; encap_level measures header bytes instead. The demonstrated unprivileged path requires private user and network namespaces and reaches a kernel panic, not demonstrated code execution.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98853
- Published
- Oct 18, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 18, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
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=3.13
- Affected versionversion=3347c960295583eee3fd58e5c539fb1972fbc005 <006c8b834aed8b02bd8fb9fb05e9e7ead37d1763
- Affected versionversion=3347c960295583eee3fd58e5c539fb1972fbc005 <c949646c900e879afce47df1b607fa320eb63bf2
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
- Upstream IP-in-IP GSO crash reproducer suiteproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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