Read disruption via VSOCK receive-counter underflow
Published Oct 23, 2026 · Updated Oct 23, 2026
Counter underflow in Linux 6.16 VSOCK allows local users to disrupt stream reads through partial receives followed by SK_SKB processing. The virtio_transport_read_skb() function subtracts the whole packet length from rx_bytes even though that counter tracks only the unread suffix. The demonstrated CID_LOCAL stream requires an SK_SKB verdict and produces erroneous readiness, ELOOP on empty reads, and queued bytes hidden until additional data arrives.
Summary
What happened
Counter underflow in Linux 6.16 VSOCK allows local users to disrupt stream reads through partial receives followed by SK_SKB processing. The virtio_transport_read_skb() function subtracts the whole packet length from rx_bytes even though that counter tracks only the unread suffix. The demonstrated CID_LOCAL stream requires an SK_SKB verdict and produces erroneous readiness, ELOOP on empty reads, and queued bytes hidden until additional data arrives.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-99062
- Published
- Oct 23, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 23, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 23, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 23, 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=17bada47e9ac3621c28e0ffa89af8279fedea00a
- Affected versionversion=45ca7e9f0730ae36fc610e675b990e9cc9ca0714 <38bad3930b1185dd6c98db3dd342ddc123c6f3ef
- Affected versionversion=45ca7e9f0730ae36fc610e675b990e9cc9ca0714 <a463f55c791b96cfd12df8b10ea737d45c80bb18
- Affected versionversion=45ca7e9f0730ae36fc610e675b990e9cc9ca0714 <dd4b2f88ee517f9629d0d3dbfced02ffbc33e2dc
- Affected versionversion=6.12.34 <6.12.113
- Affected versionversion=6.15.3 <6.16
- Affected versionversion=6.16
- Affected versionversion=7893a41deaf28b53036d4ea7cd9f7d54e8874dfc <e4a0028b0d54b2c45e1dc8c0dd95fe3e9236f55b
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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