VulnerabilityPublished 25 Sep 2026Updated 19 Oct 2026

CVE-2026-98022: Linux kernel · net: cap tx_queue_len at S16_MAX to prevent oversized ring allocations

Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · fixed in c2362c500931e5bd1826bce34e9ce28af80e7541 : patch Linux kernel soon.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 16:39 UTC

Severity

High

Rated High by Threat Radar's AI analysis · CVSS not yet scored by NVD

EPSS: 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 7% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in c2362c500931e5bd1826bce34e9ce28af80e7541, c8d4060610c69645733c92d94fceb4b93808ac4d, a03b927bae4af5c23fd5315a237855c17cc8f422 +5

Exploitation 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.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 6a643ddb5624be7e0694d49f5765a8d41c1ab6d0, < c2362c500931e5bd1826bce34e9ce28af80e7541	Fixed in c2362c500931e5bd1826bce34e9ce28af80e7541
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 6a643ddb5624be7e0694d49f5765a8d41c1ab6d0, < c8d4060610c69645733c92d94fceb4b93808ac4d	Fixed in c8d4060610c69645733c92d94fceb4b93808ac4d
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 6a643ddb5624be7e0694d49f5765a8d41c1ab6d0, < a03b927bae4af5c23fd5315a237855c17cc8f422	Fixed in a03b927bae4af5c23fd5315a237855c17cc8f422
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 6a643ddb5624be7e0694d49f5765a8d41c1ab6d0, < 081340cf70a789b94b4174af54a63ffd49677a4e	Fixed in 081340cf70a789b94b4174af54a63ffd49677a4e
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 6a643ddb5624be7e0694d49f5765a8d41c1ab6d0, < 81c0e02076989743a603806a5a4f44d2c40dc01f	Fixed in 81c0e02076989743a603806a5a4f44d2c40dc01f
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 6a643ddb5624be7e0694d49f5765a8d41c1ab6d0, < 66ab4c59b74db7ab53a1c9083feaaede393a96a0	Fixed in 66ab4c59b74db7ab53a1c9083feaaede393a96a0

AI-suggested

A fix is available and has been applied in the Linux kernel commits listed under fixedVersions. Systems should update to a kernel version including these fixes to prevent exploitation. The fix enforces a maximum tx_queue_len value of 32767, rejecting larger values at set time, thereby preventing oversized ring allocations. No additional mitigation is required once the patch is applied.

Description

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel allowed unprivileged users to set an excessively large tx_queue_len value, leading to oversized ring buffer allocations and potential global memory exhaustion. This issue affected several subsystems that allocate ring buffers based on tx_queue_len without an upper bound. The vulnerability has been fixed by capping tx_queue_len at S16_MAX (32767), rejecting oversized values at set time across all relevant interfaces.

Impact

Unprivileged users could cause denial of service by exhausting global memory through oversized ring buffer allocations in network subsystems. This could lead to out-of-memory conditions affecting system stability and availability, especially in environments with network namespaces and virtual network devices. The impact is limited to resource exhaustion and does not indicate privilege escalation or code execution.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 26 Oct 2026, 13:05 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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