CVE-2026-63870: Linux kernel · ieee802154: 6lowpan: only accept IPv6 packets in lowpan_xmit()
Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High · fixed in c1819c8defa235c7beda859bc185b1c429a55ecd : patch Linux kernel soon.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 5% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation
- No evidence of active exploitation and no public proof of concept
- Automatable
- Attackers cannot reliably automate steps 1–4 of the kill chain
- Technical impact
- Total control over the software or total information disclosure
CISA SSVC assessment, 2026-10-16.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in c1819c8defa235c7beda859bc185b1c429a55ecd, af07fffbd53ddc3ec3c2a4ca914f27899fa89bca, 87172cc8dc49aaf54407a31edffb0232f8cb93ab +5
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 19 Jul 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ieee802154: 6lowpan: only accept IPv6 packets in lowpan_xmit() The aoe driver (or similar) generates a non-IPv6 packet (e.g., ETH_P_AOE) and queues it for transmission via dev_queue_xmit() on a 6LoWPAN interface (configured by the user or test case). Since the packet is not IPv6, the 6LoWPAN header_ops->create function (lowpan_header_create or header_create) returns early without initializing the lowpan_addr_info structure in the skb headroom. In the transmit function (lowpan_xmit), the driver calls lowpan_header (or setup_header) which unconditionally copies and uses the lowpan_addr_info from the headroom, which contains uninitialized data. Fix this by dropping non IPv6 packets. A similar fix is needed in net/bluetooth/6lowpan.c bt_xmit().
References
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/af07fffbd53ddc3ec3c2a4ca914f27899fa89bca (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/3150e6d3223dfc356308125cabf9c34169842d2a (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/8da95cb6ad7d656c871e776a9c7b77e894d6d89c (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/1a827b95e62b4cbe851ae7cc9c961cdfa769cca4 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c1819c8defa235c7beda859bc185b1c429a55ecd (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/285b0842f2e01c3edf805f1fd64da11d9b7f6b4c (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/87172cc8dc49aaf54407a31edffb0232f8cb93ab (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/3a5f3f7aff18bcc36a57839cf50cf0cc8de707f3 (opens in a new tab)