CVE-2026-97985: Linux kernel · af_unix: Update last skb marker in manage_oob().
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.8 Medium.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC
- 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.
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:NExploitation 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 has been implemented to update the last skb marker in manage_oob(), resolving the CPU hogging issue. Users should apply the official Linux kernel updates that include this patch to affected versions. Since this is a kernel-level fix, upgrading to patched kernel versions is the recommended remediation.
Description
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's af_unix socket implementation was resolved by updating the last skb marker in the manage_oob() function. The flaw caused blocking recv(MSG_PEEK) calls to potentially hog CPU due to improper handling of out-of-band (OOB) socket buffers (skb). This occurred because manage_oob() skipped OOB skbs and returned NULL without updating the last skb marker, leading to busy-waiting threads. The fix ensures the last skb marker is updated correctly to prevent CPU hogging.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-97985 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97985 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/0630bfc773d85ac44da05b2c5a037dbbd39301ab (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f1816b3d7ce80dcf086bb68ff5ae6e09520ca1fa (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/fc62a26493a98a0424d9dae2eb92a1daa1321f65 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/94fd4debd2e3a69cf93e766c8b328a810c228119 (opens in a new tab)