CVE-2026-97481: Linux kernel · serial: 8250: fix possible ISR soft lockup
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC
Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 6% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Exploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 24 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 has been implemented in the Linux kernel to address this issue by properly handling the FIFO error IRQ in the 8250 serial driver. Users and administrators should apply the official kernel updates that include this fix. Since this is a kernel-level fix, upgrading to a patched kernel version is the recommended remediation. No additional mitigation steps are indicated.
Description
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's 8250 serial driver could cause a soft lockup in the interrupt service routine (ISR) due to missing FIFO error IRQ handling. This issue occurs when the host is flooded with messages during startup, leading to repeated IRQ triggers without proper handling. The flaw was observed on AM62L devices using the OMAP 8250 driver but may affect all 8250 drivers. A fix has been implemented to check and clear the FIFO error status to prevent the ISR from locking up.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-97481 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97481 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/4295c58990b7a84e8349a2226db692e252825b60 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/2881b2e6da02daea1eb8254247ba8fd20c9d3348 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/0c6bf45e5a345cc3b9ffbeaf9083ecac3c2293eb (opens in a new tab)
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97481 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/03ed804a0ddc3d069faf94c47f9e702afe5ca084 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/4bce4a6f6318035d77d6b6199527b1950bb015f4 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/8b67af8cd90542b2607623e3282811849e191b79 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/95d0b40c0623fd2b58c753f8dd6adda7263e3cd1 (opens in a new tab)