CVE-2026-98171 (CVSS 8.8)

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb: client: fix next_buffer UAF and NextCommand bounds in compound PDUs Fix several related bounds checking and pointer lifecycle issues in receive_encrypted_standard()'s handling of compound encrypted frames: - Clear next_buffer after assigning it to server->bigbuf. A stale next_buffer pointer can lead to a use-after-free on subsequent error paths. - Update pdu_length to the decrypted plaintext size (buf_size). Using the pre-decryption length allows NextCommand to point into stale ciphertext residue. - Reject next_cmd values smaller than MID_HEADER_SIZE(server). - Fix an integer overflow in the upper bound check by verifying pdu_length - next_cmd < MID_HEADER_SIZE(server), ensuring the trailing slice is large enough for a header.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

8.8

HIGH

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

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0054

Probability of exploitation

0.45%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

References

Other References

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/05762c5bc1cfdcac36747994fde2c04387a457f1 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/491e33144dee872cffda207f6fcb09260728f803 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/72eaef1f37a3b6bec11c342736834dc3707be3e4 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/858d5ac22cb889266993e7670f9f0c4f4aeedd78 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8749946579708ea0d339034bb7f423a67dbe89cf https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/96c436e4b010711452b2872558938f4ef276492a

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-98171? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb: client: fix next_buffer UAF and NextCommand bounds in compound PDUs Fix several related bounds checking and pointer lifecycle issues in receive_encrypted_standard()'s handling of compound encrypted frames: - Clear next_buffer after assigning it to server->bigbuf. A stale next_buffer pointer can lead to a use-after-free on subsequent error paths. - Update pdu_length to the decrypted plaintext size (buf_size). Using the pre-decryption length allows NextCommand to point into stale ciphertext residue. - Reject next_cmd values smaller than MID_HEADER_SIZE(server). - Fix an integer overflow in the upper bound check by verifying pdu_length - next_cmd < MID_HEADER_SIZE(server), ensuring the trailing slice is large enough for a header. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-98171? +

CVE-2026-98171 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.8 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching. The EPSS score is 0.0054, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-98171? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

CVE-2026-98171