CVE Intelligence
High

CVE-2026-89971 — nvme: skip the zoned limits update if the zone info query failed

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nvme: skip the zoned limits update if the zone info query failed nvme_query_zone_info() returns either a negative errno or a positive NVMe status code, but nvme_update_ns_info_block() only tests for the negative case: ret = nvme_query_zone_info(ns, lbaf, &zi); if (ret < 0) goto out; If the device fails the Identify Namespace (I/O Command Set specific) command, or the Identify Controller command issued by nvme_set_max_append(), the positive status falls through and setup continues with the zero-initialized zone info. nvme_update_zone_info() then marks the queue zoned with chunk_sectors and ns->head->zsze set to zero. blk_validate_zoned_limits() does not check chunk_sectors, so the limits commit succeeds. blk_revalidate_disk_zones() does reject the zero zone size, but by then the limits are live and nothing rolls them back, so I/O keeps being submitted to a zoned queue with a zero zone size and disk_zone_no() shifts by ilog2(0): nvme0n1: Invalid non power of two zone size (0) UBSAN: shift-out-of-bounds in include/linux/blkdev.h:747:16 shift exponent -1 is negative disk_zone_no include/linux/blkdev.h:747 [inline] bio_straddles_zones include/linux/blkdev.h:1058 [inline] blk_zone_wplug_handle_write block/blk-zoned.c:1423 [inline] blk_zone_plug_bio.cold+0x25/0x1c8 block/blk-zoned.c:1605 blk_mq_submit_bio+0x18fb/0x2870 block/blk-mq.c:3196 submit_bh_wbc+0x575/0x740 fs/buffer.c:2824 __block_write_full_folio+0x728/0xdd0 fs/buffer.c:1933 Any device, firmware or NVMe-oF target that fails this one command reaches this. Skip the zoned limits update in that case, and log which of the two things happened: during a revalidation the queue keeps the zone geometry it was last validated with, and on a first scan the namespace is registered without zoned limits, so that it is still available as a handle for admin commands. Neither of the paths in nvme_query_zone_info() that return a positive status logs anything, so the failure would otherwise be silent. zi.zone_size is an exact indicator: every path that returns a positive status returns before it is assigned, and after that the only failure left is -ENODEV, which the caller already handles. Found by FuzzNvme.

Published Sep 16, 2026 · Updated Oct 15, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · 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 0.6% (30-day exploitation probability)+7
  • Technical severity (high)+6

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
0.6%
ahead of 48% of scored CVEs · Oct 15, 2026
Affects
Linux
Linux
CVSS base
7.5
High · 2 source(s)

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. The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
  3. No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
  4. Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

VendorProductVersionsStatusSource
Linux Linux ≥ c85c9ab926a592e2f59f7d9a6ca7d6562843d8fa and < a75258e651d91ec25424cd94d824d192c11ccc24≥ c85c9ab926a592e2f59f7d9a6ca7d6562843d8fa and < 7fad53ae2052a2b4fc7ca567d6555bdb1176ba35≥ c85c9ab926a592e2f59f7d9a6ca7d6562843d8fa and < bb6dafa79040357cf5043836e1db108c2af8b1e1≥ c85c9ab926a592e2f59f7d9a6ca7d6562843d8fa and < 3838e80fcfb32e62baffb63c6dc0a60153665a4dversion 6.9 Vulnerable CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

ScoreVersionSeverityExpl.ImpactScored by
7.5 CVSS 3.1 High 3.9 3.6 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 via NIST National Vulnerability Database
7.5 CVSS 3.1 High — — Linux via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

Detection

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

  • Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
web/proxy/WAF logsnetwork IDS/IPS

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

  • 2026
  • Affected products added · linux/linux
    Oct 15, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Record published
    Oct 15, 2026
  • CVSS changed · 7.5
    Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • 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 16, 2026 · Linux

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

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

References

4 on the record

Elsewhere on this site

Linux
every CVE for this vendor

Related CVEs (same products)

  • Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 16h
  • Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 16h
  • Unknown CVE-2026-98431 RDMA/uverbs: Fix mmap_lock/disassociation_lock circular dependency 1d
  • Unknown CVE-2026-98430 RDMA/efa: Keep admin queues alive while IRQ is registered 1d
  • Unknown CVE-2026-98429 RDMA/efa: Keep EQ resources alive while IRQ is registered 1d
  • Unknown CVE-2026-98428 ALSA: usb: 6fire: Avoid embedded URBs 1d

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 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-2026-89971 is "nvme: skip the zoned limits update if the zone info query failed", rated High. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.60% 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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