CVE-2026-63996

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ethtool: cmis: require exact CDB reply length Malicious SFP module could respond with rpl_len longer than what cmis_cdb_process_reply() expected, leading to OOB writes. Malicious HW is a bit theoretical but some modules may just be buggy and/or the reads may occasionally get corrupted, so let's protect the kernel. The existing check protects from short replies. We need to protect from long ones, too. All callers that pass a non-zero rpl_exp_len cast the reply payload to a fixed-layout struct and read fields at fixed offsets, with no version negotiation or short-reply handling: - cmis_cdb_validate_password() - cmis_cdb_module_features_get() - cmis_fw_update_fw_mng_features_get() so let's assume that responses longer than expected do not have to be handled gracefully here. Add a warning message to make the debug easier in case my understanding is wrong... Note that page_data->length (argument of kmalloc) comes from last arg to ethtool_cmis_page_init() which is rpl_exp_len. Note2 that AIs also like to point out overflows in args->req.payload itself (which is a fixed-size 120 B buffer, on the stack), but callers should be reading structs defined by the standard, so protecting from requests for more data than max seem like defensive programming.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-07-19
Last modified 2026-07-19
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 6.11 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.12.93, 6.18.35, 7.0.12, 7.1 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 6.11
Fixed in
✓ 6.12.93 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.35 6.18.x ✓ 7.0.12 7.0.x ✓ 7.1

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-63996?

    CVE-2026-63996 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.11 onward and has been patched in 6.12.93, 6.18.35, 7.0.12 and others. CVE-2026-63996 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-63996?

    Yes — CVE-2026-63996 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.12.93, 6.18.35, 7.0.12 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 6.11 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-63996 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2026-63996 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.