CVE-2026-98089
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's network bonding driver. When transmitting or forwarding network packets in adaptive load balancing mode, the system fails to properly initialize header pointers before inspecting network traffic. An attacker transmitting packets through an affected interface can trigger an out-of-bounds memory read, resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS) caused by a kernel crash.
Statement
This vulnerability is rated as Moderate impact because triggering it requires local packet transmission privileges and only affects configurations utilizing the balance-alb bonding mode. In standard Red Hat Enterprise Linux installations, bonding interfaces are not configured by default. Even when bonding is deployed, exploitation is restricted to inducing a kernel crash, causing a denial of service without exposing or modifying system data.
Mitigation
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options don't meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base or stability.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 5.5 | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | N/A |
| Privileges Required | Low | N/A | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | N/A |
| Confidentiality | None | N/A | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
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