CVE-2026-98857
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's IP Virtual Server (IPVS) module. The load-balancing cache fails to enforce strict bounds on table growth when entries remain continuously active. A remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability by transmitting network traffic to unique destination addresses, leading to excessive kernel memory consumption and a Denial of Service (DoS).
Statement
This vulnerability is rated as having Important impact because an unauthenticated remote attacker can exhaust system memory resources over the network, leading to a kernel denial of service on affected hosts. However, exploitation requires the system to be actively deployed as an IP Virtual Server (IPVS) load balancer configured with the locality-based least-connection (LBLC or LBLCR) scheduling algorithms. These scheduling modules are not loaded or active by default on standard Red Hat Enterprise Linux deployments, limiting exposure to environments explicitly utilizing these load-balancing policies.
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 | 7.5 | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Network | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | N/A |
| Privileges Required | None | 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:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU); DoS: Resource Consumption (Memory); DoS: Resource Consumption (Other)
When allocating resources without limits, an attacker could prevent other systems, applications, or processes from accessing the same type of resource. It can be easy for an attacker to consume many resources by rapidly making many requests or causing larger resources to be used than is needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
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