Vulnerability Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netlabel: validate unlabeled address and mask attribute lengths netlbl_unlabel_addrinfo_get() used the address attribute length to determine whether the attribute data could be read as an IPv4 or IPv6 address, but did not independently validate the corresponding mask attribute length. A crafted Generic Netlink request could therefore provide a valid IPv4/IPv6 address attribute with a shorter mask attribute, which would later be read as a full struct in_addr or struct in6_addr. NLA_BINARY policy lengths are maximum lengths by default, so use NLA_POLICY_EXACT_LEN() for the unlabeled IPv4/IPv6 address and mask attributes. This rejects short attributes during policy validation and also exposes the exact length requirements through policy introspection.
CVSS Score
MEDIUM
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux Kernel | >= 2.6.25, < 5.10.259 |
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/07a18f5c90dd3d586b73242f5a5bbf0a72f2fdc6Patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0c4bb32ad7fdc2dc6a8050f41eb04d4bda56b6c8Patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/672f0f3b8f875ffe6525a37847eafa7648c4c0c6Patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/71c52da13c3737493b42d20d9f33de34e03b3156Patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/95bda3eac0b1454c2cee98d58d9ba6dd8391e843Patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/975a84fd741440853380d37465b6e226cf47254cPatch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9772589b57e44aedc240211c5c3f7a684a034d3aPatch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ccfe292a966079c61ea68a2da303b2a336170993Patch
FAQ
What is CVE-2026-53238?
CVE-2026-53238 is a vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netlabel: validate unlabeled address and mask attribute lengths netlbl_unlabel_addrinfo_get() used the address attribute length to...
How severe is CVE-2026-53238?
CVE-2026-53238 has been rated MEDIUM with a CVSS base score of 5.5/10. Review the CVSS metrics above for detailed severity breakdown.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-53238?
Check the references section above for vendor advisories and patch information. Affected products include: Linux Linux Kernel.