CVE-2026-97994

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vhost/vdpa: reject VRING_NUM larger than device max vhost_vring_set_num() accepts any non-zero power-of-two queue size that fits in 16 bits. vhost-vdpa then passes that value to set_vq_num() without comparing it with get_vq_num_max(). A process with access to /dev/vhost-vdpa-* can therefore configure a queue larger than the device advertises. With vdpa_sim, the worker can walk descriptors beyond the mapped descriptor ring. KASAN reports a 16-byte out-of-bounds read, corresponding to one vring_desc, in the vringh IOTLB path: BUG: KASAN: out-of-bounds in _copy_from_iter Read of size 16 copy_from_iotlb copydesc_iotlb vringh_getdesc_iotlb vdpasim_net_work Cache get_vq_num_max() immediately after reset. Some backends derive it from writable queue-size state, so querying it after SET_NUM may return the current size instead of the device capability. Invalidate the cached value before reset so a failed reset leaves SET_NUM disabled. For VHOST_SET_VRING_NUM, copy the complete vring state once and use the same index and size for validation, vq->num, and set_vq_num(). This ensures that validation and use operate on the same copied values.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-09-25
Last modified 2026-10-03
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 5.7 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.6.158, 6.12.111, 6.18.53, 7.2.7, 7.3-rc3 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.7
Fixed in
✓ 6.6.158 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.111 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.53 6.18.x ✓ 7.2.7 7.2.x ✓ 7.3-rc3

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-97994?

    CVE-2026-97994 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.7 onward and has been patched in 6.6.158, 6.12.111, 6.18.53 and others. CVE-2026-97994 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-97994?

    Yes. CVE-2026-97994 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.6.158, 6.12.111, 6.18.53 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.7 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-97994 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-97994 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.