CVE-2026-98497 (GCVE-0-2026-98497)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-10-18 15:16 – Updated: 2026-10-24 14:09
VLAI
Title
net/mlx5e: fix swapped IPv6 IPsec policy masks
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5e: fix swapped IPv6 IPsec policy masks IPv6 XFRM policies may use different source and destination prefix lengths. mlx5e_ipsec_policy_mask() builds the corresponding masks independently, but setup_fte_addr6() installs each mask in the opposite address field. When the prefix lengths differ, this makes the source match use the destination prefix and the destination match use the source prefix. The resulting hardware rule can both miss traffic covered by the policy and match traffic outside it. Install each mask in its corresponding match field.
Severity
7.5 (High)
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Assigner
Linux CNA under the mitre root
CNA scorecard D 53/100 over 7056 records in the last 180 days details
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version CPE status
Linux Linux Affected: ca7992f52c2cb5ef61fbfa590a2d7c926f290237 , < 3803dc8477f08e0dac4050cafee0de43f32727be (git)
Affected: ca7992f52c2cb5ef61fbfa590a2d7c926f290237 , < e73f832f0a7b2c6ea45b2124c732d639be97b547 (git)
Affected: ca7992f52c2cb5ef61fbfa590a2d7c926f290237 , < 10de7ed8ef4840da9ca21de4c29578657ac367db (git)
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Linux Linux Affected: 6.15
Unaffected: 0 , < 6.15 (semver)
Unaffected: 6.18.55 , ≤ 6.18.* (semver)
Unaffected: 7.2.9 , ≤ 7.2.* (semver)
Unaffected: 7.3 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix)
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{
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      "affected": [
        {
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          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_accel/ipsec_fs.c"
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              "version": "0",
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              "status": "unaffected",
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              "versionType": "semver"
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        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnet/mlx5e: fix swapped IPv6 IPsec policy masks\n\nIPv6 XFRM policies may use different source and destination prefix\nlengths. mlx5e_ipsec_policy_mask() builds the corresponding masks\nindependently, but setup_fte_addr6() installs each mask in the opposite\naddress field.\n\nWhen the prefix lengths differ, this makes the source match use the\ndestination prefix and the destination match use the source prefix. The\nresulting hardware rule can both miss traffic covered by the policy and\nmatch traffic outside it.\n\nInstall each mask in its corresponding match field."
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV3_1": {
            "baseScore": 7.5,
            "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
            "version": "3.1"
          },
          "scenarios": [
            {
              "lang": "en",
              "value": "AV:N - Routable ESP packets carry the decrypted inner IPv6 addresses compared by the FTE built in setup_fte_addr6(); it is installed through xfrm_add_policy() -\u003e xfrm_dev_policy_add() -\u003e mlx5e_xfrm_add_policy() -\u003e mlx5e_accel_ipsec_fs_add_pol() -\u003e rx_add_policy()/tx_add_policy().\nAC:H - Exploitation requires mlx5 full-packet offload and an administrator-installed IPv6 XFRM policy with unequal source and destination prefixes, which the remote peer cannot create; once present, chosen inner addresses deterministically exercise the swapped masks.\nPR:L - ipsec_rx_status_pass_create() forwards packets to rx-\u003eft.pol only after successful hardware authentication status, while failures reach the drop-all rule. The attacker therefore needs a valid IPsec SA/key but no target-side administrative capability.\nUI:N - After mlx5e_xfrm_add_policy() installs the faulty FTE, the peer triggers incorrect matching solely by sending ESP traffic with selected inner IPv6 addresses; no further victim action is required.\nS:U - The FTE programmed by setup_fte_addr6() misapplies XFRM policy within the same host kernel and mlx5 networking authority; it does not cross a VM, IOMMU, or other security scope.\nC:H - tx_add_policy() uses an ALLOW match to write the reqid selecting an SA; a broadened false-positive can encrypt unrelated IPv6 flows to the peer\u0027s SA, allowing it to decrypt payloads outside its intended policy prefix.\nI:H - rx_add_policy() forwards an ALLOW match toward the normal receive destination. A broadened false-positive lets an authenticated peer inject inner IPv6 packets outside the authorized source or destination prefix into the protected network.\nA:H - tx_add_policy() and rx_add_policy() encode XFRM_POLICY_BLOCK as hardware DROP; a broadened match can discard outside-policy flows, while a narrowed ALLOW match can prevent all intended selector traffic from reaching the proper policy or SA."
            }
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        }
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        "dateUpdated": "2026-10-24T14:09:07.181Z",
        "orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "shortName": "Linux"
      },
      "references": [
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          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3803dc8477f08e0dac4050cafee0de43f32727be"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e73f832f0a7b2c6ea45b2124c732d639be97b547"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/10de7ed8ef4840da9ca21de4c29578657ac367db"
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    "cveId": "CVE-2026-98497",
    "datePublished": "2026-10-18T15:16:28.852Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-09-25T10:25:14.353Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-10-24T14:09:07.181Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
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      "cve": "CVE-2026-98497",
      "id": "msrc_CVE-2026-98497",
      "initial_release_date": "2026-10-20T22:24:09.000Z",
      "product_status:under_investigation": "1",
      "source": "Microsoft CSAF VEX",
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                "product": "Linux",
                "programFiles": [
                  "drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_accel/ipsec_fs.c"
                ],
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                "vendor": "Linux",
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            "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnet/mlx5e: fix swapped IPv6 IPsec policy masks\n\nIPv6 XFRM policies may use different source and destination prefix\nlengths. mlx5e_ipsec_policy_mask() builds the corresponding masks\nindependently, but setup_fte_addr6() installs each mask in the opposite\naddress field.\n\nWhen the prefix lengths differ, this makes the source match use the\ndestination prefix and the destination match use the source prefix. The\nresulting hardware rule can both miss traffic covered by the policy and\nmatch traffic outside it.\n\nInstall each mask in its corresponding match field."
          }
        ],
        "id": "CVE-2026-98497",
        "lastModified": "2026-10-24T14:16:44.467",
        "metrics": {
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      "product_status:known_affected": "199",
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      "source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
      "status": "final",
      "title": "kernel: net/mlx5e: fix swapped IPv6 IPsec policy masks",
      "url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-98497.json",
      "version": "3"
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      "id": "CVE-2026-98497",
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}



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