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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2026-99999: Linux kernel · ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum

Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 9.3 Critical · fixed in f3e835af6226f1dd12160cbd696081e9b6155de0 : patch Linux kernel as a priority.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:00 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
9.3Critical
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.7% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 55% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CISA SSVC
Exploitation
No evidence of active exploitation and no public proof of concept
Automatable
Attackers cannot reliably automate steps 1–4 of the kill chain
Technical impact
Total control over the software or total information disclosure

CISA SSVC assessment, 2026-10-16.

Patch
Available – fixed in f3e835af6226f1dd12160cbd696081e9b6155de0, c3e33464746166264334641dc850a36eef7e6326, a464d950f31c89565cbaae038cc60db04fe01956 +5
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 15 Oct 2026

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq 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

ProductAffectedFixed in
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • ≥ f43798c27684ab925adde7d8acc34c78c6e50df8, < f3e835af6226f1dd12160cbd696081e9b6155de0
Fixed in
  • f3e835af6226f1dd12160cbd696081e9b6155de0
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • ≥ f43798c27684ab925adde7d8acc34c78c6e50df8, < c3e33464746166264334641dc850a36eef7e6326
Fixed in
  • c3e33464746166264334641dc850a36eef7e6326
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • ≥ f43798c27684ab925adde7d8acc34c78c6e50df8, < a464d950f31c89565cbaae038cc60db04fe01956
Fixed in
  • a464d950f31c89565cbaae038cc60db04fe01956
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • ≥ f43798c27684ab925adde7d8acc34c78c6e50df8, < a65f69e0f38ffbed1b128029e09097436416dc8b
Fixed in
  • a65f69e0f38ffbed1b128029e09097436416dc8b
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • ≥ f43798c27684ab925adde7d8acc34c78c6e50df8, < 6785011f8b16abf40b1e9d8b2e332232b3e68822
Fixed in
  • 6785011f8b16abf40b1e9d8b2e332232b3e68822
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • ≥ f43798c27684ab925adde7d8acc34c78c6e50df8, < 94524b7b32691de2e2ce162c04d6cbc9106e5cbf
Fixed in
  • 94524b7b32691de2e2ce162c04d6cbc9106e5cbf

AI-suggested

A fix is available and has been applied in multiple Linux kernel commits. Users should update to a patched kernel version that includes these fixes. Since this is not a cloud service, manual patching is required. There is no indication that no action is required or that the issue is already mitigated without patching.

Description

A critical vulnerability in the Linux kernel IPv4 stack allows packets with bad checksum metadata to cause corruption of the network header via skb_checksum_help. This flaw was discovered by Paulos and independently reproduced by others. The issue arises from insufficient validation of checksum_start before completing the checksum calculation. A fix has been implemented to add this validation as a defense-in-depth measure, with more comprehensive input validation planned for the future.

Reports on CVE-2026-99999

References

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