CVE-2026-97472

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipv6: addrconf: fix temp address generation after prefix deprecation When a router temporarily deprecates an IPv6 prefix (either by sending a Router Advertisement with Preferred Lifetime = 0 or by letting the lifetime expire) and later restores it, the kernel permanently loses its ability to generate temporary privacy addresses (RFC 8981) for that prefix. This happens because the address worker attempts to generate a replacement temporary address when the current one nears expiration. As the base prefix is deprecated already, the generation fails after marking the temporary address as already having spawned a replacement (ifp->regen_count++). When the router eventually restores the prefix, the temporary address becomes active again. However, once it naturally expires, the address worker sees this temporary address already tried to generate one and skips the regeneration. Fix the issue by resetting the regen_count check of the latest temp address generated for the prefix updated by the incoming RA.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-09-24
Last modified 2026-10-03
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 3.2 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.111, 6.18.53, 7.2 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 3.2
Fixed in
✓ 5.10.271 5.10.x ✓ 5.15.222 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.189 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.158 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.111 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.53 6.18.x ✓ 7.2

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-97472?

    CVE-2026-97472 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 3.2 onward and has been patched in 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189 and others. CVE-2026-97472 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-97472?

    Yes. CVE-2026-97472 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 3.2 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-97472 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-97472 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.