Unknown

CVE-2026-98954 — net: always dissect GSO packets in __virtio_net_hdr_to_skb()

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: always dissect GSO packets in __virtio_net_hdr_to_skb() Commit 9e8db5913264 ("net: avoid false positives in untrusted gso validation") added a '&& skb->network_header' check before flow-dissecting GSO packets without VIRTIO_NET_HDR_F_NEEDS_CSUM in __virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(), because some callers (such as tun_get_user(), tun_xdp_one(), virtnet_receive_done(), and raw_verify_header()) called virtio_net_hdr_*_to_skb() before initializing skb->network_header and skb->dev. Because __alloc_skb() and __build_skb_around() zero-initialize skb->network_header to 0 (unlike mac_header and transport_header which are initialized to ~0U), those four callers always had skb->network_header == 0 and bypassed flow dissection in __virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(). More generally, skb->network_header is an offset from skb->head (where 0 is also a valid offset whenever skb_headroom(skb) is 0), not a boolean flag. Whenever the 'if (gso_type && skb->network_header)' branch was skipped, the fallback 'else if (gso_type)' only pulled nh_min_len + thlen (40 bytes for TCPv4) without dissecting the packet, without validating ip_proto or n_proto, and without setting skb->transport_header. If the packet has a malformed network header, it is not rejected and a subsequent skb_probe_transport_header() also fails, leaving skb->transport_header at ~0U (0xffff). Similarly, if an IPv4 packet carries IP options (ihl > 5) or an IPv6 packet carries extension headers, pulling only nh_min_len + thlen can leave the TCP header outside skb->head. In both cases, tcp_hdrlen(skb) in skb_gso_transport_seglen() reads out-of-bounds: BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in skb_gso_transport_seglen Read of size 2 by task poc/133 skb_gso_transport_seglen (net/core/gso.c:155) skb_gso_validate_mac_len (net/core/gso.c:270) tbf_enqueue (net/sched/sch_tbf.c:260) dev_qdisc_enqueue (net/core/dev.c:4227) __dev_queue_xmit (net/core/dev.c:4884) In addition, checking virtio_net_hdr_match_proto() only inside 'if (!skb->protocol)' before flow dissection both skipped validation when skb->protocol was pre-set by the caller and rejected VLAN-tagged frames whose outer L2 protocol is ETH_P_8021Q or ETH_P_8021AD. Fix this by: 1. Initializing skb->dev and skb->network_header (plus skb->protocol for IFF_TUN) before virtio_net_hdr_*_to_skb() in tun_get_user(), tun_xdp_one(), virtnet_receive_done(), and raw_verify_header(). In tun_get_user(), drop the redundant skb_reset_mac_header(skb) in the IFF_TUN case since __virtio_net_hdr_to_skb() unconditionally resets mac_header. 2. Removing '&& skb->network_header' and the unvalidated 'else if (gso_type)' fallback in __virtio_net_hdr_to_skb() so all GSO packets without VIRTIO_NET_HDR_F_NEEDS_CSUM are flow-dissected, have their transport header pulled into linear data, and have skb->transport_header set. 3. Moving the virtio_net_hdr_match_proto() check to after skb_flow_dissect_flow_keys_basic(), validating keys.basic.n_proto against hdr_gso_type.

Published Oct 23, 2026 · Updated Oct 23, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: Linux

Low

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

0.17%

ahead of 7% of scored CVEs · Oct 30, 2026

Affects

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.

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

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status	Source
Linux	Linux	≥ d5be7f632bad0f489879eed0ff4b99bd7fe0b74c and < 5f4dfdf0077730e9d3ef5b37ceb17a5a56d6f34c≥ d5be7f632bad0f489879eed0ff4b99bd7fe0b74c and < 44378d02c5aaae24b60a75fbbb539b4aa4db503dversion dac7d4432b13d6b58923c1178b786bcda37c9e9eversion e93384b12443c9bb6830b56b7d299beed432b865version f709f7b28d76de327373598a0fda9f916c36b5e6version d996573ebd5c528c613e90b7e7daa961d58fa16eversion c375152be9dd9d6fbf6ae5ac8be337d0590f192aversion 0dab7eb86ea06ce8c530785f1999948c6f223c96 and 8 more version ea3fb2ce5fa794d02135f5c079e05cd6fc3f545dversion 54ef8243c3c8e90f1ea5792e6752e021a25c8eb3≥ 4.14.104 and < 4.15≥ 4.19.26 and < 4.20≥ 4.20.13 and < 4.21≥ 4.14.226 and < 4.15≥ 4.19.181 and < 4.20version 5.0	Vulnerable	CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 24, 2026 → Oct 30, 2026 · 7 reading(s) · max 0.21%

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 23, 2026
Affected products added · linux/linux
Oct 23, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Source status changed · → Received
Oct 23, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Record created in this database
Oct 23, 2026 · Alertas do Telegram
CVE published
Oct 23, 2026 · Linux

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

1× References added · Oct 23, 2026 – Oct 23, 2026
1× Official description updated · Oct 23, 2026 – Oct 23, 2026

References

2 on the record

git.kernel.org/stable/c/5f4dfdf0077730e9d3ef5b37ceb17a5a56d6f34c
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/44378d02c5aaae24b60a75fbbb539b4aa4db503d
NIST National Vulnerability Database

Elsewhere on this site

Linux
every CVE for this vendor

Related CVEs (same products)

Unknown CVE-2026-99216 Drivers: hv: Don't reset VMBus connection state on error/exit paths 3d
Unknown CVE-2026-99215 power: supply: core: prevent unregistering a power supply while a callback runs 3d
Unknown CVE-2026-99207 scsi: target: Disable interrupts while holding delayed_cmd_lock 3d
Unknown CVE-2026-99208 drm/xe/oa: Zero OA buffer at allocation 3d
Unknown CVE-2026-99209 drm/xe: skip eviction of a BO with no resource 3d
Unknown CVE-2026-99210 accel/rocket: clear rdev on device init failure 3d

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-2026-98954 is "net: always dissect GSO packets in __virtio_net_hdr_to_skb()", 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 0.17% 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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