CVE-2026-31418: linux kernel vulnerability

What is known

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: ipset: drop logically empty buckets in mtype_del mtype_del() counts empty slots below n->pos in k, but it only drops the bucket when both n->pos and k are zero. This misses buckets whose live entries have all been removed while n->pos still points past deleted slots. Treat a bucket as empty when all positions below n->pos are unused and release it directly instead of shrinking it further.

Business impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2026-31418, a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.5) affecting linux kernel, may affect the confidentiality, integrity or availability of the vulnerable environment. The exact impact depends on the installed version, exposed interfaces and deployment configuration.

Recommended administrator action

Confirm whether linux kernel is present and compare installed versions with the vendor advisory and NVD record. Apply the vendor patch or documented mitigation; until remediation is complete, reduce exposure of affected interfaces, review relevant logs and monitor for indicators of exploitation. DataHouse can support version verification, managed patching, network exposure reduction, log review and backup validation for dedicated, cloud and colocated environments.

Sources

• NVD
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