CVE Intelligence
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CVE-2026-80988 — NTB: ntb_transport: Fail TX enqueue when the QP link is down

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: NTB: ntb_transport: Fail TX enqueue when the QP link is down Commit f195a1a6fe41 ("ntb: Drop packets when qp link is down") meant to make ntb_transport_tx_enqueue() drop packets submitted while the QP link is down, but it only returns 0 without consuming the packet. Zero means success by this function's contract, so ntb_netdev reports NETDEV_TX_OK and forgets the skb: nothing queued it, nothing frees it, and it leaks, one skb for every transmit racing a link-down. Return -ENOLINK instead, restoring the contract that a non-zero return leaves the buffer owned by the caller. With the preceding patch, ntb_netdev frees the skb on non-retryable enqueue failures and returns NETDEV_TX_OK, so a packet racing with link-down is dropped without leaking or entering a busy retry loop.

Published Sep 11, 2026 · Updated Oct 19, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP, GitHub Security Advisories · CNA: Linux

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.
How the score was calculated
  • EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation
Not confirmed
Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.
EPSS FIRST
0.18%
ahead of 7% of scored CVEs · Oct 22, 2026
Affects
Linux
Linux
CVSS base
—
Score not published yet.

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

  1. Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux).
  2. No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
  3. Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

VendorProductVersionsStatusSource
Linux Linux version c2cd5d993f57f819d46fe62387d3cc34d8468e60version 6.6≥ 6.5.3 and < 6.6≥ 6.4.16 and < 6.5≥ 5.4.257 and < 5.5≥ 4.19.295 and < 4.20≥ 4.14.326 and < 4.15≥ 6.1.53 and < 6.1.188
and 14 more ≥ 5.15.132 and < 5.15.221≥ 5.10.195 and < 5.10.270version 449b1978d4e50b14b2a4de3a26d0b074593926a3≥ 3cfdc448e8bfa8a7eaa5af87f357330566124b78 and < 76c9ccc0c6bebfc74c0e727eda67687f5103ab06version 94491412a2afc8a5aea4c5b455aed86d3486f0b1version a8986a61ebee0b54c5d648444fbae09bd1c6dcd2version aa6d6ed213b62cbdb09ea32abbfa085dd987a0c9≥ f195a1a6fe416882984f8bd6c61afc1383171860 and < 873ce713fef5dde0939220f04f3484ec86a16fba≥ f195a1a6fe416882984f8bd6c61afc1383171860 and < 89177732fe1653bbfef10cf5d99bf20cf57762c2≥ f195a1a6fe416882984f8bd6c61afc1383171860 and < 894e136b432da75c0352c80299807a5c4b04f167≥ f195a1a6fe416882984f8bd6c61afc1383171860 and < 5eca0d899a3be661a7e2caaaa7467a6fa15d756c≥ f195a1a6fe416882984f8bd6c61afc1383171860 and < e6cc541fab01099fd8efadfa4f13afdf118bf536≥ 4f4af6b8b7a23fa37decaf43b55403e6bfd8e219 and < 45cc11035165918dd1f81796ea98f81ece20d361≥ bfa051f650a7708183bd86901ca4645dcf88c486 and < 96d792c65b9d5f7f9dd86a1004315db59e450c07
Vulnerable CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 15, 2026 → Oct 22, 2026 · 7 reading(s) · max 0.18%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

  • Not enough vector or weakness data: use the affected application’s logs as a starting point.
application logs

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

  • 2026
  • Record published
    Oct 15, 2026
  • Affected products added · linux/linux
    Oct 15, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Source status changed · → Received
    Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Record created in this database
    Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • CVE published
    Sep 11, 2026 · Linux

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

  • 1× References added · Oct 19, 2026 – Oct 19, 2026
  • 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026

References

10 on the record

Elsewhere on this site

Linux
every CVE for this vendor

Related CVEs (same products)

  • CVE-2026-99087 dm-integrity: fix NULL pointer dereference when the 'R' flag is used 11h
  • CVE-2026-99086 dm-integrity: validate the superblock on resume 11h
  • CVE-2026-99084 readdir: take no inode lock on an immutable directory 11h
  • CVE-2026-99079 net/mlx5e: Prevent stale XSK buffer release on refill retry 11h
  • CVE-2026-99080 fs: Free any excess xarray nodes in clear_inode() 11h
  • CVE-2026-99081 bnxt_en: fix DMA mapping length for padded small packets 11h

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

  • No CVSS score published by NVD, the CNA, CISA or GitHub so far.
  • No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
  • No CISA SSVC assessment.
  • No CWE classification.
  • No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
  • No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
  • No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-80988 is "NTB: ntb_transport: Fail TX enqueue when the QP link is down", rated Unknown. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. EPSS 0.18% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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