CVE-2026-98233

Received Received - Intake

BaseFortify

Publication date: 2026-10-06

Last updated on: 2026-10-19

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/packet: clear RX owner on VNET header error Commit 61fad6816fc1 ("net/packet: tpacket_rcv: avoid a producer race condition") added rx_owner_map and made tpacket_rcv() claim a V1 or V2 ring slot before converting the virtio-net header. If the conversion fails, the drop path leaves the slot claimed. With a one-frame TPACKET_V2 ring, an unsupported UDP GSO packet leaves the only slot unavailable, so the ring also drops the next valid packet. Clear the ownership bit on this error path. TPACKET_V3 already clears its block state here.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-10-06

Last Modified

2026-10-19

Generated

2026-10-19

AI Q&A

2026-10-06

EPSS Evaluated

2026-10-18

NVD

CVE-2026-98233

EUVD

EUVD-2026-93161

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
Linux	Linux	61fad6816fc10fb8793a925d5c1256d1c3db0cd2
Linux	Linux	61fad6816fc10fb8793a925d5c1256d1c3db0cd2
Linux	Linux	61fad6816fc10fb8793a925d5c1256d1c3db0cd2
Linux	Linux	61fad6816fc10fb8793a925d5c1256d1c3db0cd2
Linux	Linux	61fad6816fc10fb8793a925d5c1256d1c3db0cd2
Linux	Linux	61fad6816fc10fb8793a925d5c1256d1c3db0cd2
Linux	Linux	61fad6816fc10fb8793a925d5c1256d1c3db0cd2
Linux	Linux	61fad6816fc10fb8793a925d5c1256d1c3db0cd2
Linux	Linux	2975472e042e0bbfeeabddc5023cb8c011ec5a07
Linux	Linux	6fb0e4385928900ccb8697748555b3f54bba5193
Linux	Linux	86137342fd4cf52882842aa8d1318b2661f08e8a
Linux	Linux	b06e4d3ed4044c2facf10a511d809f9aa29d960e
Linux	Linux	4.14.175
Linux	Linux	4.19.114
Linux	Linux	5.4.29
Linux	Linux	5.5.14
Linux	Linux	5.6

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves a race condition in the packet handling code. When processing packets with a virtio-net header, if the header conversion fails, the system incorrectly leaves a ring slot claimed. This can cause subsequent valid packets to be dropped if only one slot is available in the ring.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability affects the Linux kernel's packet handling in TPACKET_V2 rings. Detection requires checking kernel logs for packet processing errors or ring slot ownership issues. Monitor for dropped packets or errors related to virtio-net headers. Use commands like dmesg | grep -i packet or journalctl -k | grep -i packet to inspect kernel logs for relevant errors.

Impact Analysis

If you use a Linux system with network packet processing, this flaw could lead to packet loss during high network traffic. This may cause network services to malfunction or become unavailable, especially in environments relying on packet capture or high-speed networking.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability affects network packet handling in the Linux kernel, potentially leading to packet drops or processing errors. While it does not directly impact compliance with GDPR or HIPAA, such issues could indirectly affect data integrity and availability, which are key compliance requirements for these regulations.

Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade the Linux kernel to a patched version that includes the fix for this issue. The commit 61fad6816fc1 resolves the problem by clearing the RX owner on VNET header errors. Check your distribution's security advisories for kernel updates and apply them immediately.

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