CVE-2026-63996: ethtool: cmis: require exact CDB reply length

Published Jul 19, 2026
·
Updated

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ethtool: cmis: require exact CDB reply length

Malicious SFP module could respond with rpllen longer than what cmiscdbprocessreply() 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 rplexplen cast the reply payload to a fixed-layout struct and read fields at fixed offsets, with no version negotiation or short-reply handling:

- cmiscdbvalidatepassword() - cmiscdbmodulefeaturesget() - cmisfwupdatefwmngfeaturesget()

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 pagedata->length (argument of kmalloc) comes from last arg to ethtoolcmispageinit() which is rplexplen.

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.

Affected Software

9 affected components
Linux Linux kernel=
Linux Linux kernel>=6.11<6.12.93
Linux Linux kernel>=6.13<6.18.35
Linux Linux kernel>=6.19<7.0.12
Linux Linux kernel=7.1-rc1
Linux Linux kernel=7.1-rc2
Linux Linux kernel=7.1-rc3
Linux Linux kernel=7.1-rc4
Linux Linux kernel=7.1-rc5

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Compensating control

    Require CMIS CDB replies to have exactly the expected length before processing; reject both longer and shorter replies to prevent out-of-bounds writes when parsing fixed-layout response structs.

Event History

Jul 19, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·02:56 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·02:56 PM
DescriptionSeverity
Data Sourced
via NVD·04:17 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-63996?

The severity of CVE-2026-63996 is rated at risk level 40.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-63996?

To fix CVE-2026-63996, update your Linux kernel to the latest stable version that addresses this vulnerability.

3

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2026-63996?

CVE-2026-63996 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability resulting from improper handling of CDB reply lengths in the ethtool cmis driver.

4

Who is affected by CVE-2026-63996?

Users of the Linux kernel with ethtool cmis drivers may be affected by CVE-2026-63996 if malicious hardware is present.

5

When was CVE-2026-63996 published?

CVE-2026-63996 was published on July 19, 2026.

Contact

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