VulnerabilityPublished 13 Aug 2026

ZDI-26-569: Linux Kernel Net Scheduler True Link Equalizer Race Condition Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Source Zero Day Initiative

Severity

High

Rated High by Zero Day Initiative

Data as of 21 Aug 2026, 17:34 UTC

What to do

AI-suggested

Linux has issued an official update that corrects this vulnerability. Users and administrators should apply the Linux kernel update containing the fix referenced in commit e5b811fe793166aecc59b085c1b7c31262ef2316 to remediate this issue.

Description

This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Linux Kernel. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute high-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The ZDI has assigned a CVSS rating of 7.5.

Impact

Local attackers with existing high-privilege code execution capabilities can exploit this race condition to escalate privileges further and execute arbitrary code within the kernel context. This can compromise system integrity and confidentiality by allowing attackers to gain full control over the affected system.

Summary

This vulnerability (ZDI-26-569) affects the Linux Kernel's handling of qdisc objects within the Net Scheduler True Link Equalizer. Due to a race condition caused by missing proper locking mechanisms, an attacker who already has the ability to execute high-privileged code locally can exploit this flaw to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in kernel context. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 7.5, indicating high severity. Linux has released a patch to fix the issue, as referenced in the official Linux kernel commit e5b811fe793166aecc59b085c1b7c31262ef2316.

References

zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-26-569/ (opens in a new tab)

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Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 13 Aug 2026, 20:48 UTC

References

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