CVE-2026-68440
Received Received - Intake

txgbe Heap Overflow in Linux Kernel EEPROM Read

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-68440, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-08-12

Last updated on: 2026-08-12

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: txgbe: fix heap overflow when reading module EEPROM txgbe_read_eeprom_hostif() always copies round_up(length, 4) bytes into the caller buffer, which ethtool allocates with exactly 'length' bytes. A non-4-aligned length therefore causes an out-of-bounds write. Copy only the remaining bytes on the final dword instead.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published
2026-08-12
Last Modified
2026-08-12
Generated
2026-08-12
AI Q&A
2026-08-12
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux_kernel txgbe *

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
CWE Icon
KEV
KEV Icon
CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

AI Quick Actions

Instant insights powered by AI
Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a heap overflow issue in the Linux kernel's txgbe network driver. The function txgbe_read_eeprom_hostif() copies more data than allocated by ethtool when reading module EEPROM. Specifically, it copies round_up(length, 4) bytes into a buffer of size 'length', causing an out-of-bounds write if 'length' is not a multiple of 4.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the txgbe network driver in the Linux kernel. Detection requires checking if the txgbe module is loaded and inspecting kernel logs for related errors. Commands like 'lsmod | grep txgbe' can verify module presence, while 'dmesg | grep txgbe' may show heap overflow warnings.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could allow an attacker to corrupt kernel memory, potentially leading to system crashes, privilege escalation, or arbitrary code execution. It affects systems using the txgbe network driver, which may be common in servers or networking devices.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Linux kernel to a patched version that includes the fix for CVE-2026-68440. If using a distribution kernel, apply vendor-provided updates. Avoid using the txgbe driver until patched, or disable it if not required.

Chat Assistant

Ask questions about this CVE
Hi! I’m here to help you understand CVE-2026-68440. Ask me anything about the vulnerability, its impact, or mitigation strategies.
0/70

EPSS Chart