KEVWire

Security intelligence, with context.

Response snapshot Oct 31, 2026, 14:16 UTC

Back to the wire
Permalink
VulnerabilityCVE-2026-99123

Linux kernel: vsock/virtio: validate packet source for connected sockets

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vsock/virtio: validate packet source for connected sockets virtio_transport_recv_pkt() looks up sockets first by the full source and destination tuple, then by destination only in the bound table.

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
7.1 High (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
Not estimated
Sources
1 source

What to do

Check the vendor advisory for affected versions and fixes.

Read NVD CVE-2026-99123 (opens a new tab)

What happened

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

vsock/virtio: validate packet source for connected sockets

virtio_transport_recv_pkt() looks up sockets first by the full source and destination tuple, then by destination only in the bound table. The fallback is needed for listening and connecting sockets, but sockets remain in the bound table after connect(), so it can also return a non-listening socket.

The fallback does not validate the source address. In TCP_SYN_SENT, a RESPONSE from an unrelated source can transition the victim socket to TCP_ESTABLISHED while its stored remote address remains unchanged. Subsequent RW packets from that source are delivered through the same destination-only fallback.

Continue reading

This was reproduced with capability-empty processes under different UIDs. The attacker discovered the target tuple through unprivileged AF_VSOCK sock_diag and caused the victim socket to read 16 attacker-chosen bytes; the intended peer-side socket read 0 of those 16 bytes.

Add vsock_check_source() to validate the transport, source port and source CID against the peer stored in a non-listening socket. The local transport is the CID exception because its packets are generated internally with VMADDR_CID_LOCAL as their source, including connections using CID aliases.

Use the helper after lock_sock() in the virtio receive path.

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

7.1

Version 3.1As of

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

Not available

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-2026-99123 (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

Cite this record

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

APA

KEVWire. (2026, October 31). Linux kernel: vsock/virtio: validate packet source for connected sockets (CVE-2026-99123). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-99123

MLA

"Linux kernel: vsock/virtio: validate packet source for connected sockets (CVE-2026-99123)." KEVWire, 31 Oct. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-99123.

Chicago

KEVWire. "Linux kernel: vsock/virtio: validate packet source for connected sockets (CVE-2026-99123)." Last modified October 31, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-99123.

Evidence summary (plain text)

Linux kernel: vsock/virtio: validate packet source for connected sockets (Oct 28, 2026).
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

vsock/virtio: validate packet source for connected sockets

virtio_transport_recv_pkt() looks up sockets first by the full source and
destination tuple, then by destination only in the bound table. The
fallback is needed for listening and connecting sockets, but sockets remain
in the bound table after connect(), so it can also return a non-listening
socket.

The fallback does not validate the source address.
CVSS 7.1 (version 3.1; evidence as of Oct 31, 2026; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-99123).
Sources:
NVD CVE-2026-99123: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-99123
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-31T12:40:58.114Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-31T14:15:57.636Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-31T10:50:56.512Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-31T13:40:56.165Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
Record ID: CVE-2026-99123.
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 31, 2026, 14:15 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.

Record JSON

Your account

Email alerts

Email alerts are coming as part of KEVWire Premium: join the waitlist. To follow your stack today, use its RSS feed, which honors your filters, or connect an AI agent through the API.

Suggest an improvement

Ideas, missing sources, corrections, and bugs are all welcome. No account needed. Suggestions are reviewed by a person before anything changes.

Record details

Record detail