CVE-2026-31438: linux kernel vulnerability

What is known

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfs: Fix kernel BUG in netfs_limit_iter() for ITER_KVEC iterators When a process crashes and the kernel writes a core dump to a 9P filesystem, __kernel_write() creates an ITER_KVEC iterator. This iterator reaches netfs_limit_iter() via netfs_unbuffered_write(), which only handles ITER_FOLIOQ, ITER_BVEC and ITER_XARRAY iterator types, hitting the BUG() for any other type. Fix this by adding netfs_limit_kvec() following the same pattern as netfs_limit_bvec(), since both kvec and bvec are simple segment arrays with pointer and length fields. Dispatch it from netfs_limit_iter() when the iterator type is ITER_KVEC.

Business impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2026-31438, 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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