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Response snapshot Oct 30, 2026, 17:36 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2026-89481

Linux kernel: nvme-tcp: fix host memory disclosure on R2T for a read command

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nvme-tcp: fix host memory disclosure on R2T for a read command nvme_tcp_handle_r2t() does not check the direction of the request the R2T refers to.

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
7.5 High (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
0.4% in the next 30 days
Sources
1 source

What to do

Check the vendor advisory for affected versions and fixes.

Read NVD CVE-2026-89481 (opens a new tab)

What happened

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

nvme-tcp: fix host memory disclosure on R2T for a read command

nvme_tcp_handle_r2t() does not check the direction of the request the R2T refers to. A malicious controller can send an R2T for a READ and the host will answer it: nvme_tcp_setup_h2c_data_pdu() builds the H2CData header and nvme_tcp_try_send_data() sends the request's data buffer. That buffer is the READ destination, so its contents go to the controller.

The command then completes normally and nothing is logged.

Continue reading

Against a test controller that answers every READ with an R2T, a 4096 byte buffered read returned all 4096 bytes, split over two R2Ts. The pages contained stale kernel data, including an array of struct page pointers.

Reject an R2T for a request that is not a write.

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

7.5

Version 3.1As of

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

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

How bad it is if exploited. Not a prediction of exploitation or proof you are exposed.

EPSS probability

0.4%

Scored Percentile 35.6%

Model and measurement source (opens a new tab)

A model's estimate of exploitation in the next 30 days, not certainty or your own risk.

Related technology

Sources

  1. Primary source

    NVD CVE-2026-89481 (opens a new tab)

    NVD record: description, CVSS (the CNA score is preferred), affected products, and publication date. Not evidence of exploitation.

    Published Checked

  2. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  3. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  4. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  5. Primary source

    FIRST measured EPSS score (opens a new tab)

    Measured EPSS probability and percentile for CVE-2026-89481, scored 2026-10-30. This is a model estimate, not proof of exposure.

    Published Checked

Cite this record

For factual claims, cite the primary sources above; cite KEVWire for its compilation, dates, and classifications.

APA

KEVWire. (2026, October 30). Linux kernel: nvme-tcp: fix host memory disclosure on R2T for a read command (CVE-2026-89481). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-89481

MLA

"Linux kernel: nvme-tcp: fix host memory disclosure on R2T for a read command (CVE-2026-89481)." KEVWire, 30 Oct. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-89481.

Chicago

KEVWire. "Linux kernel: nvme-tcp: fix host memory disclosure on R2T for a read command (CVE-2026-89481)." Last modified October 30, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-89481.

Evidence summary (plain text)

Linux kernel: nvme-tcp: fix host memory disclosure on R2T for a read command (Sep 11, 2026).
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

nvme-tcp: fix host memory disclosure on R2T for a read command

nvme_tcp_handle_r2t() does not check the direction of the request the
R2T refers to. A malicious controller can send an R2T for a READ and
the host will answer it: nvme_tcp_setup_h2c_data_pdu() builds the
H2CData header and nvme_tcp_try_send_data() sends the request's data
buffer. That buffer is the READ destination, so its contents go to the
controller.

The command then completes normally and nothing is logged.
CVSS 7.5 (version 3.1; evidence as of Oct 30, 2026; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-89481).
EPSS 0.4% for the following 30 days, scored Oct 30, 2026 (https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-89481&date=2026-10-30).
Sources:
NVD CVE-2026-89481: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-89481
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T13:06:45.042Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T14:50:57.069Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=500
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T12:22:16.957Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T14:05:57.373Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=500
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T11:45:59.009Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T13:20:57.281Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=500
FIRST measured EPSS score: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-89481&date=2026-10-30
Record ID: CVE-2026-89481.
Record origin: Ingested record.
AI evidence: Not assessed.
Known exploitation: Not assessed.
Zero-day status: Not assessed. KEV membership alone does not establish zero-day status.
About this data

This record was ingested from a data source. Retrieved: Oct 30, 2026, 14:52 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

NVD status: Received. Publication in the NVD is not evidence of exploitation.

A CISA KEV listing documents known exploitation, not necessarily a zero-day; absence from the catalog does not prove a vulnerability has never been exploited.

Technology tags indicate possible relevance, not verified exposure. Confirm the affected product, version, and configuration against your own inventory; KEVWire does not scan your systems.

A personal reading checklist on this device, not verified remediation.

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Record details

Record detail