CriticalCVE-2026-46135

    Linux Kernel: security vulnerability (CVE-2026-46135)

    Published Last modified Sources: Ubuntu, BSI, Red Hat, SUSE, Debian LTS, Msrc Update Guide, CVE.org, EUVD

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    What is affected, what to do

    A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's NVMe over TCP (nvmet-tcp) implementation. A race condition exists between the handling of an Initialization Connection Request (ICReq) and the teardown of a queue.

    Update Linux Kernel to version 5.10.261, Linux Kernel to version 5.15.212, Linux Kernel to version 6.1.178.

    Affected
    • Linux Kernel lt 5.0..5.10.261
    • Linux Kernel lt 5.11..5.15.212
    • Linux Kernel lt 5.16..6.1.178
    • Linux Kernel lt 6.2..6.6.144
    • Linux Kernel lt 6.7..6.12.88
    • Linux Kernel lt 6.13..6.18.30
    • Linux Kernel lt 6.19..7.0.7
    Fixed in
    • Linux Kernel 5.10.261
    • Linux Kernel 5.15.212
    • Linux Kernel 6.1.178
    • Linux Kernel 6.6.144
    • Linux Kernel 6.12.88
    • Linux Kernel 6.18.30
    • Linux Kernel 7.0.7
    • Linux Kernel 7.1

    Not sure whether and how you are affected? Ask a question about this vulnerability

    Metrics

    9.8

    Priority

    XIEM Effective CVSS: highest available CVSS rating from NVD and vendor data.

    Source: Vendor (CNA), CVSS v3

    9.8

    CVSS v3

    Severity Critical on the scale from 0 to 10.

    Source: Ubuntu, BSI, Red Hat, SUSE, Debian LTS, Msrc Update Guide, CVE.org, EUVD

    0.4 %

    EPSS score

    Low — model estimates < 1% exploitation likelihood.

    Source: FIRST EPSS, percentile 34.1

    Show all metrics
    Severity
    Critical
    Priority (0–325)

    The priority score is a consolidated metric that condenses several individual signals into a single, action-guiding ranking: technical severity (CVSS), exploitation likelihood (EPSS), known-exploited status (KEV) and the context of the affected asset. The aim is to answer the only truly important question in vulnerability management: what first?

    Read in glossary
    75.95 Methodology
    Exploit maturity

    An exploit is code or a technique that specifically uses a concrete vulnerability to force unintended behaviour — such as executing code or escalating privileges. It is the tool that turns a theoretical flaw into a practical attack.

    Read in glossary
    no public PoC known
    XIEM Effective CVSS

    XIEM® is the tiered managed-security operating model from NEOSEC and a registered trademark of NEOSEC GmbH. It extends classic SIEM — the central collection, normalisation and correlation of security-relevant events — with endpoint forensics, network visibility and deception technology, and consolidates them into three building tiers: Sentry, Orchestrate and Command.

    Read in glossary
    9.8 Methodology
    CVSS v3

    CVSS is the globally established, open standard for assessing the technical severity of a vulnerability on a scale from 0 to 10. It describes how easily a flaw can be exploited and what damage it can cause — but not how likely its actual exploitation is. CVSS and the complementary EPSS deliberately answer different questions.

    Read in glossary
    9.8
    EPSS score

    The EPSS score is the absolute model output for an individual vulnerability: the estimated probability of real-world exploitation within the next 30 days, expressed as a value between 0 and 1 (i.e. 0 % to 100 %). A score of 0.42 means „the model estimates a 42 % chance of real-world exploitation within 30 days“.

    Read in glossary
    0.4 %
    Low — model estimates < 1% exploitation likelihood.
    EPSS percentile

    The EPSS percentile is the relative position of a vulnerability within all EPSS-scored CVEs, expressed as a value between 0 and 1. A percentile of 0.90 means „this CVE has a higher EPSS score than 90 % of all other scored CVEs“. Unlike the EPSS score, it is not a probability — but a positioning within a ranking.

    Read in glossary
    34.1
    Elevated — this CVE ranks above at least 10% of all CVEs scored today.
    KEV status

    The KEV catalogue is a list maintained by the US authority CISA of vulnerabilities for which active exploitation in the wild has been confirmed. It answers not the question „how severe?“ but „is it already being attacked?“ — thereby sharply prioritising patching.

    Read in glossary
    —
    Published
    CISA assessment (SSVC)
    Exploitation: none known · automatable · Technical impact: total
    Source: CISA Vulnrichment, as of 16 October 2026
    CWE

    CWE is a catalogue of typical weakness types in software and hardware — such as flawed input validation, unsafe memory handling or poor authentication. Where a CVE names a concrete vulnerability in a concrete product, a CWE describes the underlying class of defect.

    Read in glossary
    CWE-362

    Detection rules

    No NEOSEC detection rule is available for this vulnerability yet.

    Classification under NIS2 and CRA

    Rule-based classification from exploitation status and severity. It does not replace a case-by-case assessment.

    NIS2

    NIS2 is EU Directive (EU) 2022/2555 to raise the level of cybersecurity across the Union. It substantially broadens obligations compared with the first NIS directive: more sectors, mandatory risk management, staged reporting duties and personal accountability of senior management.

    Read in glossary
    High technical severity: assess and remediate the vulnerability in vulnerability handling under Art. 21(2)(e) NIS2 and document the decision.
    CRA

    The CRA is EU Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 setting horizontal cybersecurity requirements for „products with digital elements“ — from industrial controllers and software to connected consumer devices. For the first time manufacturers must ensure security across the entire product lifecycle, handle vulnerabilities and provide security updates.

    Read in glossary
    From 11.12.2027, Annex I Part II CRA requires manufacturers of affected products with digital elements to handle vulnerabilities without delay and provide security updates.
    ISO/IEC 27001

    ISO/IEC 27001 is the internationally leading standard for an information security management system (ISMS). It describes a risk-based, process-oriented framework to systematically plan, implement, review and improve information security.

    Read in glossary
    Control A.8.8, management of technical vulnerabilities: assess relevance to your systems, plan remediation and keep evidence.

    Description

    A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's NVMe over TCP (nvmet-tcp) implementation. A race condition exists between the handling of an Initialization Connection Request (ICReq) and the teardown of a queue. A remote attacker, by sending an ICReq and immediately closing the connection, could trigger a double free vulnerability. This could lead to a denial of service (DoS) due to memory corruption.

    Source: Ubuntu Security Notices, BSI WID Portal, BSI CSAF, redhat_csaf, suse_csaf, Debian LTS Advisories, Microsoft Security Update Guide, cvelistv5, NVD (NIST), ENISA EUVD, CVE.org (MITRE)

    Affected products

    The following versions are affected. Older releases of the same product line are also vulnerable unless stated otherwise.

    Affected products
    Affected versionsFixed in
    LinuxLinux
    • 6.7 – < 6.12.88
    • 5.11 – < 5.15.212
    • 5.0 – < 5.10.261
    • 6.19 – < 7.0.7
    • —
    • 6.2 – < 6.6.144
    • 6.13 – < 6.18.30
    • 5.16 – < 6.1.178
    • 6.12.88
    • 5.15.212
    • 5.10.261
    • 7.0.7
    • 7.1
    • 6.6.144
    • 6.18.30
    • 6.1.178
    IBMQRadar SIEM
    • <7.5.0 UP15 IF06
    • —

    Vendors and products

    Affected operating systems

    Affected operating systems
    Linuxdebianlinuxbookworm
    Linuxdebianlinuxbullseye
    Linuxdebianlinux-6.1bullseye
    Linuxlinuxlinux_kernel7.1
    Linuxlinuxlinux_kernel—

    Weakness classes (CWE)

    • CWE-362Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization ('Race Condition')

      Class

      The product contains a concurrent code sequence that requires temporary, exclusive access to a shared resource, but a timing window exists in which the shared resource can be modified by another code sequence operating concurrently.

      Entry at MITRE CWE-362

    References & sources

    Changes to this CVE

    Who changed this CVE and when: NVD (analysis, affected products, CVSS), the CVE publisher (CNA) and additional providers such as CISA (ADP).

    1. Record modifiedCISA ADP

      Weakness type: CWE-362

      Show the original change
      Individual changes of this event as published by NVD
      TypeActionBeforeAfter
      Weakness type (CWE)added
      —
      CWE-362

      Source identifier: 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0

    2. Record modifiedLinux

      Show 20 original changes
      Individual changes of this event as published by NVD
      TypeActionBeforeAfter
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/49891c8fe0cb43fbbe480da1cdccfbbaeb820cb3
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5293a8882c549fab4a878bc76b0b6c951f980a61
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5f0b95ef68ab9afba75b20eebf436130f80c161a
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/67e1aaf93b495c2f10bc8a5fbba575fbb7f449b6
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6f96dea4819d122737b217ea16660d255abbf8c6
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9c63cf80895a70eb4fcfcaa725bb1ac9ae76f02b
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b7dd4d27aa70bd98bb10572310e913668baf6a65
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dcfe4d1f7960e7d1c01642318f3aae1a604f8508
      Referenceremoved
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/49891c8fe0cb43fbbe480da1cdccfbbaeb820cb3
      —
      Referenceremoved
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5293a8882c549fab4a878bc76b0b6c951f980a61
      —
      Referenceremoved
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5f0b95ef68ab9afba75b20eebf436130f80c161a
      —
      Referenceremoved
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/67e1aaf93b495c2f10bc8a5fbba575fbb7f449b6
      —
      Referenceremoved
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6f96dea4819d122737b217ea16660d255abbf8c6
      —
      Referenceremoved
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9c63cf80895a70eb4fcfcaa725bb1ac9ae76f02b
      —
      Referenceremoved
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b7dd4d27aa70bd98bb10572310e913668baf6a65
      —
      Referenceremoved
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dcfe4d1f7960e7d1c01642318f3aae1a604f8508
      —
      Reference typeremoved
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/49891c8fe0cb43fbbe480da1cdccfbbaeb820cb3 Types: Patch
      —
      Reference typeremoved
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5293a8882c549fab4a878bc76b0b6c951f980a61 Types: Patch
      —
      Reference typeremoved
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/67e1aaf93b495c2f10bc8a5fbba575fbb7f449b6 Types: Patch
      —
      Reference typeremoved
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dcfe4d1f7960e7d1c01642318f3aae1a604f8508 Types: Patch
      —

      Source identifier: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

    3. Record modifiedCISA ADP

      CISA assessment (SSVC): exploitation: none known, automatable: yes

      Show the original change
      Individual changes of this event as published by NVD
      TypeActionBeforeAfter
      SSVC assessmentadded
      —
      {"id":"CVE-2026-46135","role":"CISA Coordinator","options":[{"exploitation":"none"},{"automatable":"yes"},{"technicalImpact":"total"}],"version":"2.0.3","timestamp":"2026-10-16T15:20:14.078561Z"}

      Source identifier: 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0

    4. Record modifiedLinux

      Show 4 original changes
      Individual changes of this event as published by NVD
      TypeActionBeforeAfter
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6f96dea4819d122737b217ea16660d255abbf8c6
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9c63cf80895a70eb4fcfcaa725bb1ac9ae76f02b
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b7dd4d27aa70bd98bb10572310e913668baf6a65
      Affected versions (publisher)changed
      Linux, Linux
      Linux, Linux

      Source identifier: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

    5. Record modifiedLinux

      Show 2 original changes
      Individual changes of this event as published by NVD
      TypeActionBeforeAfter
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5f0b95ef68ab9afba75b20eebf436130f80c161a
      Affected versions (publisher)changed
      Linux, Linux
      Linux, Linux

      Source identifier: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

    Show one older change

    1. Initial analysis by NVDNVD

      Newly listed as affected:
      • Linux Kernel (6.13 – before 6.18.30; 6.19 – before 7.0.7; 5.0 – before 6.12.88; 1 individual version)

      Weakness type: CWE-362

      Show 6 original changes
      Individual changes of this event as published by NVD
      TypeActionBeforeAfter
      Weakness type (CWE)added
      —
      CWE-362
      Product configurationadded
      —
      OR *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 6.13 up to (excluding) 6.18.30 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 6.19 up to (excluding) 7.0.7 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 5.0 up to (excluding) 6.12.88
      Reference typeadded
      —
      kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/49891c8fe0cb43fbbe480da1cdccfbbaeb820cb3 Types: Patch
      Reference typeadded
      —
      kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5293a8882c549fab4a878bc76b0b6c951f980a61 Types: Patch
      Reference typeadded
      —
      kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/67e1aaf93b495c2f10bc8a5fbba575fbb7f449b6 Types: Patch
      Reference typeadded
      —
      kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dcfe4d1f7960e7d1c01642318f3aae1a604f8508 Types: Patch

      Source identifier: nvd@nist.gov

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