critical CVSS 9.8

CVE-2026-63888·Kernel vulnerability

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: scsi: target: iscsi: Fix CRC overread and double-free in iscsit_handle_text_cmd() Two latent bugs in the Text-phase handler, both present since the original LIO integration in commit e48354ce078c ("iscsi-target: Add iSCSI fabric support for target v4.1"): 1) DataDigest CRC buffer overread (4 bytes past text_in). text_in is kzalloc()'d at ALIGN(payload_length, 4). rx_size is then incremented by ISCSI_CRC_LEN to make room for the received DataDigest in the iovec, but the same (now-bumped) rx_size is passed as the buffer length to iscsit_crc_buf(): if (conn->conn_ops->DataDigest) { ... rx_size += ISCSI_CRC_LEN; } ... if (conn->conn_ops->DataDigest) { data_crc = iscsit_crc_buf(text_in, rx_size, 0, NULL); iscsit_crc_buf() walks rx_size bytes of text_in with crc32c(), so when DataDigest is negotiated it reads 4 bytes past the end of the text_in allocation. KASAN reproduces this directly on the unpatched mainline tree as slab-out-of-bounds in crc32c() called from the Text PDU path. The OOB bytes feed crc32c() and are then compared against the initiator-supplied checksum, so the value does not flow back to the attacker, but the kernel does read past the buffer on every Text PDU with DataDigest=CRC32C. Fix by passing the actual padded payload length (ALIGN(payload_length, 4)) that was used for the kzalloc(). 2) Stale cmd->text_in_ptr re-free (double-free) on ERL>0 bad DataDigest drop. On DataDigest mismatch with ErrorRecoveryLevel > 0 the handler silently drops the PDU and lets the initiator plug the CmdSN gap: kfree(text_in); return 0; cmd->text_in_ptr still points at the freed buffer. The next Text Request on the same ITT re-enters iscsit_setup_text_cmd(), which unconditionally does kfree(cmd->text_in_ptr); cmd->text_in_ptr = NULL; freeing the same pointer a second time. Session teardown via iscsit_release_cmd() has the same shape and hits the same double-free if the connection is dropped before a second Text Request arrives. On an unmodified mainline tree the bug-1 CRC overread fires first on the initial valid Text Request and perturbs the subsequent state, so #4 was isolated by building a kernel with only the bug-1 hunk of this patch applied plus temporary printk() observability around the three relevant kfree() sites. The observability prints are not part of this patch. On that build, a three-PDU Text Request sequence after login produces two back-to-back splats: BUG: KASAN: double-free in iscsit_setup_text_cmd+0x?? BUG: KASAN: double-free in iscsit_release_cmd+0x?? showing the same pointer freed in the ERL>0 drop path and again in iscsit_setup_text_cmd() (next Text Request on the same ITT) and once more in iscsit_release_cmd() (session teardown). On distro kernels with CONFIG_SLAB_FREELIST_HARDENED=y (default) the double-free becomes a remote kernel BUG(); on non-hardened kernels it corrupts the slab freelist. Fix by clearing cmd->text_in_ptr after the kfree() in the ERL>0 drop path. With both hunks applied #4 is directly observable on the stock tree without observability printks; fixing bug-1 alone would mask #4 less, not more, so the hunks are submitted together. Both fixes are one-liners. The Text PDU state machine is unchanged and the wire protocol is unaffected.

Severity
critical
Software
Kernel
Fixed in
7.0.12
Published

Affected versions

From: 6.19

Until: 7.0.12

Fixed in: 7.0.12

How to fix this CVE

Update your Linux kernel to version 7.0.12 or later to address two critical bugs in the iSCSI target text command handler. The first bug causes a 4-byte buffer overread during CRC validation, and the second introduces a double-free vulnerability when error recovery is enabled. Apply the kernel update immediately and reboot your system to ensure the patches are active.

sudo dnf update kernel kernel-devel && sudo reboot

Defensia detects this vulnerability

How to check if you are affected

  1. Check installed kernel version: uname -r (compare against 7.0.12 or later)
  2. Verify if iSCSI target support is loaded: lsmod | grep -i iscsi_target
  3. Check if DataDigest is negotiated in iSCSI sessions: cat /proc/net/iet_session (if available) or check initiator logs for DataDigest=CRC32C negotiations
  4. Review kernel logs for KASAN warnings: sudo dmesg | grep -i 'slab-out-of-bounds\|double-free' (KASAN-enabled kernels only)
  5. Confirm patch applied: grep -r 'text_in_ptr' /boot/config-$(uname -r) or verify kernel source contains the fix commits

FAQ

What is CVE-2026-63888?

CVE-2026-63888 is a critical vulnerability in the Linux kernel's iSCSI target implementation affecting the Text-phase command handler. It combines a CRC validation buffer overread (reading 4 bytes beyond allocated memory) with a double-free condition triggered when error recovery is enabled and DataDigest mismatches occur.

Is CVE-2026-63888 being actively exploited?

No, CVE-2026-63888 is not listed as actively exploited by CISA, and no public exploits are currently available. However, the critical CVSS score of 9.8 and the nature of the vulnerabilities warrant immediate patching.

What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2026-63888?

Kernel versions 6.19 through 7.0.11 are affected. Version 7.0.12 and later contain the fixes.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2026-63888?

Run 'uname -r' and compare the output against version 7.0.12. If your kernel version is 6.19 or later but earlier than 7.0.12, your system is vulnerable.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2026-63888?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If Kernel is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2026-63888 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.

Related Kernel CVEs

CVE-2026-63795CVSS 10In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: 9p: avoid putting oldfid in p9_client_walk() error path When p9_client_walk() is called with clone set to false, fid aliases oldfid. If the walk subsequently fails after the request has been sent, the error path jumps to clunk_fid, which currently calls p9_fid_put(fid) unconditionally. This drops a reference to oldfid even though ownership of oldfid remains with the caller. If this is the last reference, oldfid can be clunked and destroyed while the caller still expects it to be valid. A later use or put of oldfid can then trigger a use-after-free or refcount underflow. Fix this by only putting fid in the clunk_fid error path when it does not alias oldfid, matching the existing guard in the error path below. This can be triggered when a multi-component walk is split into multiple p9_client_walk() calls and a later non-cloning walk fails. A reproducer and refcount warning logs are available on request.
CVE-2026-64160CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfs: Fix potential for tearing in ->remote_i_size and ->zero_point Fix potential tearing in using ->remote_i_size and ->zero_point by copying i_size_read() and i_size_write() and using the same seqcount as for i_size. We need to make sure that netfslib and the filesystems that use it always hold i_lock whilst updating any of the sizes to prevent i_size_seqcount from getting corrupted.
CVE-2026-64125CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: bcmgenet: keep RBUF EEE/PM disabled Setting RBUF_EEE_EN | RBUF_PM_EN in RBUF_ENERGY_CTRL breaks the RX path on GENET hardware once MAC EEE becomes active. RX traffic stops flowing while the link stays up and the usual descriptor/RX error counters remain quiet. In that state the MAC still accepts frames (rbuf_ovflow_cnt keeps climbing) but RBUF no longer forwards them to DMA, so rx_packets is no longer incremented at the netdev level. On some boards the corruption ends up as a paging fault in skb_release_data via bcmgenet_rx_poll on an LPI exit. Reproduced on Pi 4B (BCM2711 + BCM54213PE) and confirmed by Florian Fainelli on an internal Broadcom 4908-family board with the same crash signature. RBUF_PM_EN is not publicly documented. This shows up more often now that phy_support_eee() enables EEE by default, but it also affects older kernels as soon as TX LPI is turned on via ethtool, so it is not specific to recent changes. Always clear RBUF_EEE_EN | RBUF_PM_EN in bcmgenet_eee_enable_set so the bits stay off across resets. UMAC and TBUF setup is left alone so TX-side EEE keeps working.
CVE-2026-64136CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb: client: protect tc_count increment in smb2_find_smb_sess_tcon_unlocked() Commit 96c4af418586 ("cifs: Fix locking usage for tcon fields") refactored cifs code to change cifs_tcp_ses_lock for tc_lock around tc_count changes. There was missing lock around tc_count increment inside smb2_find_smb_sess_tcon_unlocked().
CVE-2026-53399CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nfsd: release layout stid on setlease failure nfs4_alloc_stid() publishes the new stid into cl->cl_stateids via idr_alloc_cyclic() under cl_lock before returning to nfsd4_alloc_layout_stateid(). When nfsd4_layout_setlease() then fails, the error path frees the layout stateid directly with kmem_cache_free() without ever calling idr_remove(), leaving the IDR slot pointing at freed slab memory. Any subsequent IDR walker (states_show, client teardown) dereferences the dangling pointer. The correct teardown for an IDR-published stid is nfs4_put_stid(), which removes the IDR slot under cl_lock, dispatches sc_free (nfsd4_free_layout_stateid) to release ls->ls_file via nfsd4_close_layout(), and drops the nfs4_file reference in its tail. A second issue blocks that switch: nfsd4_free_layout_stateid() unconditionally inspects ls->ls_fence_work via delayed_work_pending() under ls_lock, but INIT_DELAYED_WORK(&ls->ls_fence_work, ...) currently runs only after the setlease call. On the setlease-failure path the destructor would touch an uninitialized delayed_work. nfsd4_alloc_layout_stateid() nfs4_alloc_stid() /* idr_alloc_cyclic under cl_lock */ nfsd4_layout_setlease() /* fails */ nfs4_put_stid() nfsd4_free_layout_stateid() delayed_work_pending(&ls->ls_fence_work) /* needs INIT */ nfsd4_close_layout() /* nfsd_file_put(ls->ls_file) */ put_nfs4_file() Fix by hoisting the ls_fenced / ls_fence_delay / INIT_DELAYED_WORK initialization above the nfsd4_layout_setlease() call, and replace the manual nfsd_file_put + put_nfs4_file + kmem_cache_free cleanup with a single nfs4_put_stid(stp).

References

Track CVEs across your fleet automatically

Defensia scans your Linux servers and tells you exactly which ones are running vulnerable versions — including CVE-2026-63888. Free for 1 server.

Get started free