CVE-2026-98573
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: skbuff: fix pull-bound underflow in skb_checksum_setup_ipv6() skb_maybe_pull_tail() subtracts skb_headlen(skb) from the unsigned max argument and passes the result to __pskb_pull_tail() as a signed int. The function does not ensure that max is at least skb_headlen(skb). This can happen while parsing IPv6 extension headers when an skb already has a linear area larger than MAX_IPV6_HDR_LEN. Once the parser needs data beyond the linear area, max - skb_headlen(skb) wraps and is converted to a negative delta. __pskb_pull_tail() then passes that negative length to skb_copy_bits(), where it can become a very large copy length. Pass the requested length itself as the pull bound at the three extension-header call sites, so the delta can no longer go negative.
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
3.13
and later are affected. Fixed in
5.10.271,
5.15.222,
6.1.189,
6.6.158,
6.12.112,
6.18.55,
7.2.9,
7.3
and their respective stable series.
References
8 totalFrequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-98573?
CVE-2026-98573 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 3.13 onward and has been patched in 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189 and others. CVE-2026-98573 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-98573?
Yes. CVE-2026-98573 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 3.13 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-98573 actively exploited?
No. CVE-2026-98573 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.