CVE-2026-98493

net: ipconfig: bound DHCP option construction

Published Oct 18, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 4.1 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net: ipconfig: bound DHCP option construction

ic_dhcp_init_options() appends the hostname (option 12), vendor-class
(option 60) and client-ID (option 61) options into the fixed 312-byte
bootp_pkt.exten[] buffer. Only the client-ID branch checked the
remaining space; the hostname and vendor-class writes were unbounded.

A 64-byte hostname together with the maximum 252-byte dhcpclass=
identifier needs 18 + (2 + 64) + (2 + 252) = 338 of the 312 available
bytes even before the terminating END marker, so the vendor-class memcpy
runs past the end of exten[]. With CONFIG_FORTIFY_SOURCE this is
reported as a field-spanning write and, when the kernel is booted with
panic_on_warn=1, aborts boot with a panic.

Route the optional options through a common helper that makes sure the
option, its 2-byte header and the END marker all fit and drops an option
that would not. Configurations with short options keep sending exactly
the same bytes as before.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-4850-1 linux-6.12 security update
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9019-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9020-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9022-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9023-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9024-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9025-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9026-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9039-1 Linux kernel (Azure CVM) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9040-1 Linux kernel (Low Latency NVIDIA) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9066-1 Linux kernel (HWE) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9091-1 Linux kernel (NVIDIA Tegra) vulnerabilities
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-119
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-787
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 4.1, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-119
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: ipconfig: bound DHCP option construction ic_dhcp_init_options() appends the hostname (option 12), vendor-class (option 60) and client-ID (option 61) options into the fixed 312-byte bootp_pkt.exten[] buffer. Only the client-ID branch checked the remaining space; the hostname and vendor-class writes were unbounded. A 64-byte hostname together with the maximum 252-byte dhcpclass= identifier needs 18 + (2 + 64) + (2 + 252) = 338 of the 312 available bytes even before the terminating END marker, so the vendor-class memcpy runs past the end of exten[]. With CONFIG_FORTIFY_SOURCE this is reported as a field-spanning write and, when the kernel is booted with panic_on_warn=1, aborts boot with a panic. Route the optional options through a common helper that makes sure the option, its 2-byte header and the END marker all fit and drops an option that would not. Configurations with short options keep sending exactly the same bytes as before.
Title net: ipconfig: bound DHCP option construction
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
Oct 30, 2026, 12:38 PM
Reserved
Sep 25, 2026, 10:25 AM
Status
Received
Published
Oct 18, 2026, 4:17 PM
Modified
Oct 30, 2026, 1:21 PM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
Oct 18, 2026, 12:00 AM