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Response snapshot Oct 30, 2026, 17:36 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2026-89550

Linux kernel: SUNRPC: svcauth_gss: enforce krb5 token minimum length

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: SUNRPC: svcauth_gss: enforce krb5 token minimum length svcauth_gss_unwrap_priv() validates only an upper bound on the wire-supplied opaque length before handing the buffer to gss_unwrap(): if (len > xdr_stream_remaining(xdr)) goto unwrap_failed; offset = xdr_stream_pos(xdr); ...

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
9.8 Critical (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
0.5% in the next 30 days
Sources
1 source

What to do

Check the vendor advisory for affected versions and fixes.

Read NVD CVE-2026-89550 (opens a new tab)

What happened

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

SUNRPC: svcauth_gss: enforce krb5 token minimum length

svcauth_gss_unwrap_priv() validates only an upper bound on the wire-supplied opaque length before handing the buffer to gss_unwrap():

if (len > xdr_stream_remaining(xdr)) goto unwrap_failed; offset = xdr_stream_pos(xdr); ... maj_stat = gss_unwrap(ctx, offset, offset + len, buf);

Continue reading

The wire value len flows unchanged as the upper bound into the krb5 unwrap path, so a len in [0, 16] passes this check and is handed to gss_unwrap(). For a krb5 v2 context that lands in gss_krb5_unwrap_v2(), which reads the 16-byte RFC 4121 token header fields at ptr+4 and ptr+6 and then calls rotate_left() before any integrity check.

With a sub-header length the header reads run past the token, and _rotate_left()'s shift %= buf->len path can divide by zero when buf->len has been driven to zero by the truncated token. A header-only token (len == 16) is equally invalid: with a non-zero RRC field and the opaque blob ending at the XDR buffer boundary, rotate_left() builds a zero-length subbuffer, reaching the same division.

Reject the token at the server entry point before it reaches the krb5 unwrap core. A valid sealed RFC 4121 token must contain the 16-byte header plus at least some encrypted payload.

Fix by adding a minimum-length check immediately after the existing upper-bound check:

if (len <= GSS_KRB5_TOK_HDR_LEN) goto unwrap_failed;

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

9.8

Version 3.1As of

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

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

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

EPSS probability

0.5%

Scored Percentile 39.7%

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-2026-89550 (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-2026-89550, 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: SUNRPC: svcauth_gss: enforce krb5 token minimum length (CVE-2026-89550). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-89550

MLA

"Linux kernel: SUNRPC: svcauth_gss: enforce krb5 token minimum length (CVE-2026-89550)." KEVWire, 30 Oct. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-89550.

Chicago

KEVWire. "Linux kernel: SUNRPC: svcauth_gss: enforce krb5 token minimum length (CVE-2026-89550)." Last modified October 30, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-89550.

Evidence summary (plain text)

Linux kernel: SUNRPC: svcauth_gss: enforce krb5 token minimum length (Sep 11, 2026).
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

SUNRPC: svcauth_gss: enforce krb5 token minimum length

svcauth_gss_unwrap_priv() validates only an upper bound on the
wire-supplied opaque length before handing the buffer to
gss_unwrap():

    if (len > xdr_stream_remaining(xdr))
            goto unwrap_failed;
    offset = xdr_stream_pos(xdr);
    ...
    maj_stat = gss_unwrap(ctx, offset, offset + len, buf);

The wire value len flows unchanged as the upper bound into the
krb5 unwrap path, so a len in [0, 16] passes this check and is
handed to gss_unwrap().
CVSS 9.8 (version 3.1; evidence as of Oct 30, 2026; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-89550).
EPSS 0.5% for the following 30 days, scored Oct 30, 2026 (https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-89550&date=2026-10-30).
Sources:
NVD CVE-2026-89550: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-89550
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-2026-89550&date=2026-10-30
Record ID: CVE-2026-89550.
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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