UBUNTU-CVE-2026-74671: Medium severity ubuntu/linux vulnerability
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ima: fix out-of-bounds read in xattrverify() The digest-length check in xattrverify() mixes int and sizet: if (xattrlen - sizeof(xattrvalue->type) - hashstart >= iint->imahash->length) sizeof() yields sizet, so the usual arithmetic conversions promote the whole left-hand side to unsigned 64-bit before the subtraction runs. For a truncated xattr this underflows instead of going negative: a 1-byte IMAXATTRDIGESTNG xattr (xattrlen == 1, hashstart == 1) turns "1 - 1 - 1" into SIZEMAX, which is trivially >= imahash->length. The check then passes and the following memcmp() reads iint->imahash->length bytes starting past the end of the buffer vfsgetxattralloc() allocated for it. Nothing upstream clamps xattrlen back into a safe range first: imagethashalgo() only special-cases xattrlen < 2 to pick a default algorithm, and evmverifyxattr() returns INTEGRITYUNKNOWN rather than failing when no HMAC key is loaded, so a truncated security.ima value reaches the length check as-is. Rewrite the comparison so every operand stays a signed int and no implicit conversion to sizet can occur.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
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ubuntu/linux-aws-5.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1117.124~20.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azure-5.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1123.132~20.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-5.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1122.131~20.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gcp-5.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1118.128~20.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-hwe-5.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-198.208~20.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-ibm-5.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1111.115~20.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-intel-iotg-5.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1112.118~20.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-195.205~20.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-oracle-5.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1114.120~20.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-riscv-5.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1111.115~20.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linuxto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-198.208 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-awsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1117.124 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azureto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1123.132 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azure-fdeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1122.131 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gcpto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1118.128 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gketo a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1113.119 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gkeopto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1100.108 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-ibmto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1111.115 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-intel-iotgto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1112.118 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-kvmto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1109.114 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-lowlatencyto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-195.205 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-nvidiato a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1112.113 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-oracleto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1114.120 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-xilinx-zynqmpto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1080.84 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-bluefieldto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1101.103 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-intel-iot-realtimeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1109.111 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-realtimeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1116.125 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-aws-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1117.124+fips1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azure-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1123.132+fips1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-198.208+fips1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gcp-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1118.128+fips1 - Compensating control
In ima xattr_verify(), rewrite the digest-length comparison so every operand remains a signed int and no implicit conversion to size_t occurs.
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Ubuntu kernel package families are listed as affected?
The advisory lists ubuntu/linux, ubuntu/linux-fips, ubuntu/linux-aws, ubuntu/linux-azure, ubuntu/linux-aws-fips, ubuntu/linux-azure-fips, ubuntu/linux-gcp, and ubuntu/linux-gcp-fips.
What input condition reaches the out-of-bounds read?
A truncated security.ima extended attribute can bypass the digest-length check due to unsigned underflow. The described example is a one-byte IMA_XATTR_DIGEST_NG attribute with xattr_len and hash_start both equal to 1.
Does an unloaded EVM HMAC key block this path?
No. When no HMAC key is loaded, evm_verifyxattr() returns INTEGRITY_UNKNOWN rather than failing, allowing the truncated security.ima value to reach the vulnerable length check.