CVE-2026-99999: Linux kernel · ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 9.3 Critical.
Data as of 28 Oct 2026, 01:30 UTC
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 15 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
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 26.10linuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=stonkingOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.10linux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=stonkingOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.10linux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=stonkingOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.10linux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=stonkingOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.10linux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=stonkingOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.10linux-oraclepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-oracle?arch=source&distro=stonkingOther 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 is available that validates checksum_start before completing the checksum in the IPv4 stack. Users should apply the official patches or upgrade to fixed kernel versions. Since this is a kernel-level vulnerability, updating the Linux kernel to a patched version is the recommended remediation. No additional mitigations are specified.
Description
A critical vulnerability in the Linux kernel IPv4 stack allows malformed packets with bad checksum metadata to cause corruption of the network header. This can lead to severe impacts including confidentiality, integrity, and availability violations. The issue arises because the checksum_start value was not validated before completing the checksum calculation, allowing skb_checksum_help to corrupt packet data. A fix has been implemented to validate checksum_start before checksum completion as a defense-in-depth measure.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-99999 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-99999 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/linus/6785011f8b16abf40b1e9d8b2e332232b3e68822 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/0fab003ef4698e0628060a45a48f14b43ba2a40a (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/32a8b0adaa18e52aaa0b246b5ffe683075354dbb (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/6785011f8b16abf40b1e9d8b2e332232b3e68822 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/94524b7b32691de2e2ce162c04d6cbc9106e5cbf (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a464d950f31c89565cbaae038cc60db04fe01956 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a65f69e0f38ffbed1b128029e09097436416dc8b (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c3e33464746166264334641dc850a36eef7e6326 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f3e835af6226f1dd12160cbd696081e9b6155de0 (opens in a new tab)
- pwn.ai/blog/pwnescape (opens in a new tab)
- vercel.com/blog/findings-from-the-1-million-dollar-vercel-sandbox-challenge (opens in a new tab)