CVE-2026-89542: Linux kernel · SUNRPC: harden gss_krb5_unwrap_v2 against short tokens
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 9.8 Critical.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.5% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 43% 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:H/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 for this vulnerability is available and has been applied to the affected Linux kernel versions. Users and administrators should update to patched kernel versions to remediate the issue. There is no indication that additional mitigation steps are required beyond applying the official fix.
Description
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's SUNRPC subsystem related to the gss_krb5_unwrap_v2 function has been resolved. The flaw involves out-of-bounds reads and arithmetic errors when processing short or malformed tokens, which can lead to memory corruption. The issue arises because the function reads header fields before validating token length and performs unchecked arithmetic that can cause underflows and large memory moves. The fix adds multiple defensive checks to ensure token length validity and prevent unsafe memory operations.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-89542 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/6959297aaa9572783d620a226d73c3fb94494888 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/806584a4b67a7233870c33e5b8f872e76dd02988 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a7894e10572d53eb10109b8d07459cc8d3435811 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/dddcb0f4b7e27fac16a78ea9a1c8ec2e8a241087 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-89542 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-89542 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/linus/6959297aaa9572783d620a226d73c3fb94494888 (opens in a new tab)
- msrc.microsoft.com/csaf/vex/2026/msrc_cve-2026-89542.json (opens in a new tab)
- support.microsoft.com/lifecycle (opens in a new tab)
- first.org/cvss (opens in a new tab)