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NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2026-22988: arp: do not assume dev_hard_header() does not change skb->head

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 22/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.14% (FIRST EPSS).
  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: Linux Linux 029935507d0af6553c45380fbf6feecf756fd226, 393525dee5c39acff8d6705275d7fcaabcfb7f0a, 6.1.161.
  • Severity is disputed: the assigning authority (CNA) scores it 7.8, NVD 5.5.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 029935507d0af6553c45380fbf6feecf756fd226, 393525dee5c39acff8d6705275d7fcaabcfb7f0a, 6.1.161 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: arp: do not assume dev_hard_header() does not change skb->head arp_create() is the only dev_hard_header() caller making assumption about skb->head being unchanged. A recent commit broke this assumption. Initialize @arp pointer after dev_hard_header() call.

MediumCVSS 5.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Jan 23, 2026
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
EPSS
0.1% · 3th percentile
CWE
—

Report tools

JSON

Action score

22

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.1%

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
5.5
CNA · Linux
7.8
2.3 point gap

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2026-22988

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
linuxlinux kernel

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • linux linux kernel6.12.64 and later · before 6.12.66
  • linux linux kernel6.18.4 and later · before 6.18.6
  • linux linux kernel6.1.160
  • linux linux kernel6.19
  • linux linux kernel6.6.120

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Linux). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Linux Linux

    • 17e7386234f740f3e7d5e58a47b5847ea34c3bc2 and later · before e432dbff342b95fe44645f9a90fcf333c80f4b5eaffected · git
    • 41a1a3140aff295dee8063906f70a514548105e8 and later · before 393525dee5c39acff8d6705275d7fcaabcfb7f0aaffected · git
    • adee129db814474f2f81207bd182bf343832a52e and later · before 70bddc16491ef4681f3569b3a2c80309a3edcdd1affected · git
    • 1717357007db150c2d703f13f5695460e960f26c and later · before 029935507d0af6553c45380fbf6feecf756fd226affected · git
    • 5fe210533e3459197eabfdbf97327dacbdc04d60 and later · before dd6ccec088adff4bdf33e2b2dd102df20a7128faaffected · git
    • 91a2b25be07ce1a7549ceebbe82017551d2eec92 and later · before 949647e7771a4a01963fe953a96d81fba7acecf3affected · git
    • db5b4e39c4e63700c68a7e65fc4e1f1375273476 and later · before c92510f5e3f82ba11c95991824a41e59a9c5ed81affected · git
    • 6.1.160 and later · before 6.1.161affected · semver
    • 6.6.120 and later · before 6.6.121affected · semver
    • 6.12.64 and later · before 6.12.66affected · semver

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:14linuxbefore 6.18.8-16.18.8-1

Same product

linux: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2026-31431crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-placeKEV
    90Now
  • CVE-2022-0847A flaw was found in the way the "flags" member of the new pipe buffer structure was lacking proper initialization in copy_page_to_iter_pipe KEV
    89Now
  • CVE-2021-22555Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACEKEV
    85Now

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-22986Jan 23, 2026 · gpiolib: fix race condition for gdev->srcu
    18Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-22987Jan 23, 2026 · net/sched: act_api: avoid dereferencing ERR_PTR in tcf_idrinfo_destroy
    22Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2026-22995Jan 23, 2026 · ublk: fix use-after-free in ublk_partition_scan_work
    31Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
Linux Linux029935507d0af6553c45380fbf6feecf756fd226Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux393525dee5c39acff8d6705275d7fcaabcfb7f0aVendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6.1.161Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6.12.66Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6.18.6Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6.6.121Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux70bddc16491ef4681f3569b3a2c80309a3edcdd1Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux949647e7771a4a01963fe953a96d81fba7acecf3Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxc92510f5e3f82ba11c95991824a41e59a9c5ed81Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxdd6ccec088adff4bdf33e2b2dd102df20a7128faVendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxe432dbff342b95fe44645f9a90fcf333c80f4b5eVendor (CNA)
debian:linux6.18.8-1 · Debian:14Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • A low-privileged account is enough.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
none
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
None
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

—

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Show all references (6 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records