CVE-2026-22987
📋 TL;DR
A Linux kernel vulnerability in the net/sched traffic control subsystem where error pointers are incorrectly dereferenced during network namespace teardown. This can cause kernel crashes (kernel panic) when destroying network namespaces. Affects Linux systems using traffic control actions.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel
📦 What is this software?
Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Kernel panic leading to system crash and denial of service, potentially requiring physical reboot.
Likely Case
System crash during network namespace cleanup operations, causing temporary service disruption.
If Mitigated
No impact if traffic control actions are not used or if proper kernel hardening prevents exploitation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Reported by syzbot fuzzer. Exploitation requires ability to trigger specific error conditions in traffic control subsystem.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Patches available in stable kernel trees (commits 67550a1130b6 and adb25a46dc0a)
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/67550a1130b647bb0d093c9c0a810c69aa6a30a8
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from distribution vendor. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable traffic control actions
linuxPrevent use of vulnerable code path by disabling traffic control actions
# Not recommended as may break network functionality
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict user access to network namespace operations
- Monitor for kernel panic events and implement high availability
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and verify if patches are applied: grep -q '67550a1130b6\|adb25a46dc0a' /proc/kallsymsCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel includes patched commits: uname -r and check with distribution vendor📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- Oops messages in dmesg
- System crash during network teardown
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected network namespace destruction
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("panic" OR "Oops") AND ("tcf" OR "tc_action" OR "idrinfo")