VulnerabilityPublished 9 Oct 2026Updated 20 Oct 2026

CVE-2026-98384: Linux kernel · bpf: Fix out-of-bounds read of sk_protocol in bpf_sock_destroy()

Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database

Authoritative record:CVE-2026-98384· Medium

Not known to be exploited.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC

Severity

Medium

Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD

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.

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.

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

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux`pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=resolute`Other threats	Affected 6.17.0-5.5 – 7.0.0-38.38 23 affected builds	Fixed in–
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-aws`pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=resolute`Other threats	Affected 6.17.0-1002.2 – 7.0.0-1014.14 15 affected builds	Fixed in–
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azure`pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=resolute`Other threats	Affected 6.17.0-1003.3 – 7.0.0-1017.17 15 affected builds	Fixed in–
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azure-fde`pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=resolute`Other threats	Affected 7.0.0-1003.3 – 7.0.0-1016.16 9 affected builds	Fixed in–
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gcp`pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=resolute`Other threats	Affected 6.17.0-1002.2 – 7.0.0-1014.14 13 affected builds	Fixed in–
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gke`pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=resolute`Other threats	Affected 7.0.0-1002.3 – 7.0.0-1008.9 6 affected builds	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 correct the out-of-bounds read in bpf_sock_destroy(). Users should apply the official kernel updates that include this fix for the affected versions. No additional mitigation steps are indicated beyond applying the patch.

Description

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's BPF subsystem was fixed to address an out-of-bounds read of the sk_protocol field in the bpf_sock_destroy() function. The issue arises because sk_protocol resides in struct sock, not struct sock_common, and certain socket states passed to bpf_sock_destroy() cause the code to read beyond the intended memory region. This flaw was corrected by ensuring sk_protocol is only checked on full socket structures, aligning with how tcp_abort() handles specific socket states.

Impact

This vulnerability could cause kernel memory to be read out-of-bounds, potentially leading to kernel crashes or undefined behavior. There is no indication of active exploitation in the wild. The impact is limited to affected Linux kernel versions running the vulnerable BPF code path.

Summary

The Linux kernel contained a vulnerability in the BPF subsystem where bpf_sock_destroy() performed an out-of-bounds read of the sk_protocol field. This field is part of struct sock, but the function sometimes received socket types (timewait or request sockets) that are not full sock structures, leading to reading memory beyond the object's boundary. The fix involved restricting the sk_protocol check to full socket types, consistent with tcp_abort() handling of TIME_WAIT and NEW_SYN_RECV socket states, thereby preventing the out-of-bounds access.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 24 Oct 2026, 08:05 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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