CVE-2026-89537: Linux kernel · SUNRPC: Reject short RFC 4121 MIC tokens in gss_krb5_verify_mic_v2
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 9.1 Critical.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.6% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 51% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 11 Sep 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
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gkepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
A fix is available that adds a length check at the start of gss_krb5_verify_mic_v2() to reject short MIC tokens before any memory access. Systems should update to a patched Linux kernel version that includes this fix. Until patched, avoid connecting to untrusted NFS servers. Valid MIC tokens generated by the system are unaffected, so normal operations with trusted servers remain safe.
Description
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's SUNRPC implementation allows a malicious NFS server to supply short RFC 4121 MIC tokens that can cause out-of-bounds reads in the Kerberos MIC verifier. This occurs because the function gss_krb5_verify_mic_v2 does not properly check the length of the token before accessing its contents. The issue affects specific Linux kernel versions and has been resolved by adding a length check before any token processing. Valid MIC tokens generated by the system are unaffected.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-89537 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/7a946b2e7207f968902f2147ab9b30726f82f7ab (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b94f6719dcd9f7a609bc5f459f85795900e77d25 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-89537 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-89537 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/linus/b94f6719dcd9f7a609bc5f459f85795900e77d25 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/996dd15f60121bdd7896b4554458f8806d608063 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/997577c52487181226775db3755079a3ba1d52b9 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b2e9e10f5a536befcdce64d3e6946dff42fb823e (opens in a new tab)