CVE-2026-98375: Linux kernel · xen/netfront: drop RX packets with a short Ethernet header
Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · fixed in e2b721bc30f40ffa7ccc36a56d4e8990b8c0538e : update Linux kernel when convenient.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:30 UTC
Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 8% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in e2b721bc30f40ffa7ccc36a56d4e8990b8c0538e, 0542d213253eec18785a24b603b28bd385dfe4a5, 236a17caebcff31f75bec5ff4136bde2de944e40 +2
Exploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 9 Oct 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
Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xen/netfront: drop RX packets with a short Ethernet header handle_incoming_queue() pulls pull_to bytes into the head before calling eth_type_trans(). pull_to is the length of the first RX slot, capped at RX_COPY_THRESHOLD, and that length comes from the backend. Nothing checks it against ETH_HLEN. If the first slot is shorter than ETH_HLEN and more slots follow, the head ends up shorter than an Ethernet header while skb->len is longer, and eth_type_trans() BUG()s in __skb_pull(). If the whole packet is shorter than ETH_HLEN, eth_type_trans() reads the header past the end of the data instead. Pull at least ETH_HLEN, and drop the packet if that fails, which also drops packets too short to hold an Ethernet header. This also checks the return value of the pull, which was ignored.
References
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/0542d213253eec18785a24b603b28bd385dfe4a5 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/236a17caebcff31f75bec5ff4136bde2de944e40 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/72d2f54367895d6e236b9857892e2e6b6036e067 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e2b721bc30f40ffa7ccc36a56d4e8990b8c0538e (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/089e58805c452e52179482b1025a8e309a57f801 (opens in a new tab)
- xenbits.xen.org/xsa/advisory-522.html (opens in a new tab)
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/10/09/3 (opens in a new tab)