In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

netlink: reset skb headers before unicast and multicast filtering

Socket filters can use SKF_NET_OFF and SKF_LL_OFF to read relative to
an skb's network and MAC headers. Netlink producers may reserve
headroom without resetting those headers, allowing a receiving socket's
filter to read data before the initialized message.

For example, IWPM HELLO replies are allocated with dev_alloc_skb(),
which reserves NET_SKB_PAD bytes. An unprivileged NETLINK_RDMA user can
attach a classic socket filter and disclose this headroom through the
length of the delivered reply. The resets in netlink_dump() do not help
because IWPM sends a separately allocated skb through netlink_unicast().

Reset both headers before running the receiver's filter in unicast and
broadcast delivery, as is already done for dump skbs. This also covers
other netlink producers that reserve headroom without changing their
allocation or message-building code.
Advisories

No advisories yet.

Fixes

Solution

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Workaround

No workaround given by the vendor.

History

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 10:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netlink: reset skb headers before unicast and multicast filtering Socket filters can use SKF_NET_OFF and SKF_LL_OFF to read relative to an skb's network and MAC headers. Netlink producers may reserve headroom without resetting those headers, allowing a receiving socket's filter to read data before the initialized message. For example, IWPM HELLO replies are allocated with dev_alloc_skb(), which reserves NET_SKB_PAD bytes. An unprivileged NETLINK_RDMA user can attach a classic socket filter and disclose this headroom through the length of the delivered reply. The resets in netlink_dump() do not help because IWPM sends a separately allocated skb through netlink_unicast(). Reset both headers before running the receiver's filter in unicast and broadcast delivery, as is already done for dump skbs. This also covers other netlink producers that reserve headroom without changing their allocation or message-building code.
Title netlink: reset skb headers before unicast and multicast filtering
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

Projects

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cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-10-28T10:36:04.864Z

Reserved: 2026-09-25T10:25:14.401Z

Link: CVE-2026-99211

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-10-28T11:17:42.533

Modified: 2026-10-28T11:17:42.533

Link: CVE-2026-99211

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-10-28T12:30:17Z

Weaknesses

No weakness.