CVE-2026-89537

Critical

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: SUNRPC: Reject short RFC 4121 MIC tokens in gss_krb5_verify_mic_v2 gss_krb5_verify_mic_v2() reads the token ID at ptr[0..1], the flags byte at ptr[2], and padding at ptr[3..7], then passes ptr + GSS_KRB5_TOK_HDR_LEN and cksum_len to gss_krb5_mic_build_sg(). None of these accesses check read_token->len first. The minimum safe token size is GSS_KRB5_TOK_HDR_LEN (16) plus ctx->krb5e->cksum_len (12-24, depending on the enctype). All callers accept shorter tokens from the wire: - gss_unwrap_resp_integ() enforces only an upper bound (offset + len <= rcv_buf->len) before allocating mic.data = kmalloc(len) and passing it to gss_verify_mic(). A malicious NFS server can therefore supply a short checksum opaque, producing a small slab allocation that the Kerberos MIC verifier reads past. - gss_validate() enforces only len <= RPC_MAX_AUTH_SIZE (400) before passing the wire-supplied length to gss_validate_seqno_mic(), which constructs a mic xdr_netobj and calls gss_verify_mic(). - svcauth_gss_verify_header() enforces only checksum.len >= XDR_UNIT (4 bytes) before dispatching to gss_verify_mic(). - svcauth_gss_unwrap_integ() checks only that the checksum fits in gsd->gsd_scratch. Add a length guard at the top of gss_krb5_verify_mic_v2(), before any ptr[] access or scatterlist construction. Well-formed MIC tokens from gss_krb5_get_mic_v2() already have exactly GSS_KRB5_TOK_HDR_LEN + cksum_len bytes, so valid traffic is unaffected.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-09-11
Last modified 2026-09-13
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

9.1

out of 10
Critical
Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 2.6.35 and later are affected. Fixed in 7.2.4, 7.3-rc1 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 2.6.35
Fixed in
✓ 7.2.4 7.2.x ✓ 7.3-rc1

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-89537?

    CVE-2026-89537 is a Critical severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 9.1 out of 10 . It affects Linux kernel versions from 2.6.35 onward and has been patched in 7.2.4 and 7.3-rc1. CVE-2026-89537 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-89537?

    CVE-2026-89537 has a CVSS score of 9.1 out of 10, rated Critical severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-89537?

    Yes. CVE-2026-89537 has been patched. Fixed versions include 7.2.4 and 7.3-rc1. If you are running Linux kernel 2.6.35 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-89537 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-89537 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.