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CVE-2026-98371

Linux: xfrm: iptfs: fix runt reassembly panic from short inner tot_len

Linux LinuxOperating systems
CVSS
NoneNot scored
ExploitationNo known exploitationNot in CISA KEV, which does not prove it is unexploitedCISA KEV
Exploit odds (EPSS)0.16%Chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 4% of CVEs. Scored 23 Oct 2026FIRST EPSS
Fixed in5b8afb56ccb7c014b0f1ac40341708b200443c2dFixed versionCVE List
Published6 Oct 2026Updated 19 Oct 2026CVE List

What fixes it

  • 5b8afb56ccb7c014b0f1ac40341708b200443c2dLinuxCVE List

A fixed version on one release line is not the upgrade target for every line. Check your exact version and any vendor backports.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

xfrm: iptfs: fix runt reassembly panic from short inner tot_len

When the start of an inner packet is split across two outer packets such that fewer than 4 bytes land at the end of the first one, __input_process_payload() saves those bytes as a runt and skips the iplen/iphlen validation performed for in-place packets. When the continuation packet arrives, iptfs_reassem_cont() only requires the declared inner length to be >= sizeof(ra_runt) (6) before allocating the reassembly skb with that attacker-controlled length.

However, __iptfs_iphlen() always returns the fixed minimum IP header size (20 for IPv4, 40 for IPv6), so for an inner IPv4 tot_len in [6, 19] the header-completion copy writes past the declared packet length, and the subsequent "ipremain -= copylen" underflows to ~4GB, leaving the payload copy length bounded only by blkoff (up to 64KB). At runtime the skb_put() tailroom check turns this into skb_over_panic(), i.e. an unprivileged kernel panic (DoS), reachable locally via userns+netns IPTFS SAs and remotely against IPTFS VPN gateways when the decrypted outer skb is linear (e.g. AF_PACKET taps, tun/tap delivery).

Align the runt path with the normal path by requiring the declared inner length to cover at least the IP header size. This also subsumes the previous >= sizeof(ra_runt) check, since the minimum IP header is always larger than the runt buffer.

This issue was found by the autokbug dynamic kernel fuzzer at Tencent Yunding Lab.

Text from CVE List

Affected versions 8

  • Linuxaffected: 07569476544681816335099929ff3494dfbf6b05 before a7018ee0ea8622ed59edc064be4e0f2c26464f53CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 07569476544681816335099929ff3494dfbf6b05 before 5b8afb56ccb7c014b0f1ac40341708b200443c2dCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 07569476544681816335099929ff3494dfbf6b05 before dc33262be1fe43d0eb0b84fb58c6ed42e2f64a8cCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 6.14CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: all versions before 6.14CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.18.54 through 6.18.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.2.8 through 7.2.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.3CVE List

References 3