CVE-2026-97602: Linux kernel · inet: frags: invalidate queues before flushing them
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 4% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
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 25 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 has been implemented in the Linux kernel. Users should apply the official kernel updates that address this issue. Since this is not a cloud service, remediation requires updating the affected Linux kernel versions. Patch status is confirmed by the resolution note in the advisory. No additional mitigation steps are indicated beyond applying the fix.
Description
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's IPv6 fragment reassembly code allows heap corruption due to stale metadata usage. This occurs when fragment queues are not properly invalidated before flushing, leading to out-of-bounds memory access. The flaw can be leveraged for local privilege escalation in environments with unprivileged network namespaces. The issue has been resolved by properly killing incomplete queues and flushing all queues owned by the dying rhashtable.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-97602 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97602 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/bf3d6c44c84c57e8a4bb7f40ad95b64f9b0198ba (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b824476c56a153934c67c9e0f873e1fd967743d6 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/7cb5f4643a7fcdbfbee1fad3cdfc678add62d378 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b9d77f1652e79e58eac48430d0431c329137efcc (opens in a new tab)
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97602 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ff83367cda8eefbd62007ef1dff4f8104226d18a (opens in a new tab)