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CVE-2026-63996

Full vulnerability record from the local CVENow database.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ethtool: cmis: require exact CDB reply length Malicious SFP module could respond with rpl_len longer than what cmis_cdb_process_reply() expected, leading to OOB writes. Malicious HW is a bit theoretical but some modules may just be buggy and/or the reads may occasionally get corrupted, so let's protect the kernel. The existing check protects from short replies. We need to protect from long ones, too. All callers that pass a non-zero rpl_exp_len cast the reply payload to a fixed-layout struct and read fields at fixed offsets, with no version negotiation or short-reply handling: - cmis_cdb_validate_password() - cmis_cdb_module_features_get() - cmis_fw_update_fw_mng_features_get() so let's assume that responses longer than expected do not have to be handled gracefully here. Add a warning message to make the debug easier in case my understanding is wrong... Note that page_data->length (argument of kmalloc) comes from last arg to ethtool_cmis_page_init() which is rpl_exp_len. Note2 that AIs also like to point out overflows in args->req.payload itself (which is a fixed-size 120 B buffer, on the stack), but callers should be reading structs defined by the standard, so protecting from requests for more data than max seem like defensive programming.

Severity
HIGH
CVSS score
7.8 (v3.1)
Vulnerability status
Modified
Source identifier
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Published
2026-07-19 16:17:39.170000
Last modified
2026-10-19 21:17:17.693000
View original CVE JSON 
{
  "id": "CVE-2026-63996",
  "sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
  "published": "2026-07-19T16:17:39.170",
  "lastModified": "2026-10-19T21:17:17.693",
  "vulnStatus": "Modified",
  "cveTags": [],
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nethtool: cmis: require exact CDB reply length\n\nMalicious SFP module could respond with rpl_len longer than\nwhat cmis_cdb_process_reply() expected, leading to OOB writes.\nMalicious HW is a bit theoretical but some modules may just\nbe buggy and/or the reads may occasionally get corrupted,\nso let's protect the kernel.\n\nThe existing check protects from short replies. We need to\nprotect from long ones, too. All callers that pass a non-zero\nrpl_exp_len cast the reply payload to a fixed-layout struct\nand read fields at fixed offsets, with no version negotiation\nor short-reply handling:\n\n  - cmis_cdb_validate_password()\n  - cmis_cdb_module_features_get()\n  - cmis_fw_update_fw_mng_features_get()\n\nso let's assume that responses longer than expected do not\nhave to be handled gracefully here. Add a warning message\nto make the debug easier in case my understanding is wrong...\n\nNote that page_data->length (argument of kmalloc) comes from\nlast arg to ethtool_cmis_page_init() which is rpl_exp_len.\n\nNote2 that AIs also like to point out overflows in args->req.payload\nitself (which is a fixed-size 120 B buffer, on the stack),\nbut callers should be reading structs defined by the standard,\nso protecting from requests for more data than max seem like\ndefensive programming."
    }
  ],
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              "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix",
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      ]
    }
  ],
  "metrics": {
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          "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
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          "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
          "userInteraction": "NONE",
          "scope": "UNCHANGED",
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  "weaknesses": [
    {
      "source": "[email protected]",
      "type": "Primary",
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