CVE-2026-97991 (CVSS 7.8)

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vdpa_sim_blk: reject out-of-range sector starts vdpasim_blk_check_range() logs an invalid start sector but continues validating the request. The subsequent unsigned capacity subtraction can underflow and let an out-of-range buffer offset reach the data path. The invalid offset is used by three request paths. VIRTIO_BLK_T_OUT copies guest data to blk->buffer + offset through vringh_iov_pull_iotlb(), causing an out-of-bounds write in _copy_from_iter() or memcpy(). VIRTIO_BLK_T_IN copies from blk->buffer + offset to the guest through vringh_iov_push_iotlb(), causing an out-of-bounds read in _copy_to_iter(). VIRTIO_BLK_T_WRITE_ZEROES passes blk->buffer + offset to memset(), causing an out-of-bounds write. Reject starts at or beyond the capacity before the subtraction. Treat the capacity boundary as invalid because the IN and OUT paths round byte counts down to sectors for validation but later copy the original byte counts. A sub-sector request at the capacity boundary would otherwise still access past the end of the buffer. I found this bug myself, though the patch was written with AI assistance.

Is your site exposed to CVE-2026-97991?

Run a free security scan — no signup, results in seconds.

CVSS v3.1 Score

7.8

HIGH

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

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0012

Probability of exploitation

0.02%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

References

Other References

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0a8693f00c408d85f086ad85d29e7030bf1e2055 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/14acb0d44b7d90a077beb7b92b444b90bafda9d9 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a8a1413a2cfdbedc896249f461d6d92efbbfe21f https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d6dac17e20fd2abd0eb8c09d69fccf7426e12bcf

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-97991? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vdpa_sim_blk: reject out-of-range sector starts vdpasim_blk_check_range() logs an invalid start sector but continues validating the request. The subsequent unsigned capacity subtraction can underflow and let an out-of-range buffer offset reach the data path. The invalid offset is used by three request paths. VIRTIO_BLK_T_OUT copies guest data to blk->buffer + offset through vringh_iov_pull_iotlb(), causing an out-of-bounds write in _copy_from_iter() or memcpy(). VIRTIO_BLK_T_IN copies from blk->buffer + offset to the guest through vringh_iov_push_iotlb(), causing an out-of-bounds read in _copy_to_iter(). VIRTIO_BLK_T_WRITE_ZEROES passes blk->buffer + offset to memset(), causing an out-of-bounds write. Reject starts at or beyond the capacity before the subtraction. Treat the capacity boundary as invalid because the IN and OUT paths round byte counts down to sectors for validation but later copy the original byte counts. A sub-sector request at the capacity boundary would otherwise still access past the end of the buffer. I found this bug myself, though the patch was written with AI assistance. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-97991? +

CVE-2026-97991 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching. The EPSS score is 0.0012, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-97991? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

CVE-2026-97991