How severe is CVE-2026-53238?

CVE-2026-53238 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2026-53238 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (8th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-53238?

CVE-2026-53238 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 8 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2026-53238?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

Does CVE-2026-53238 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2026-53238 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-39329.

When was CVE-2026-53238 published?

CVE-2026-53238 was published on 2026-06-25 and last updated on 2026-07-08.

CVE-2026-53238

CVE-2026-53238 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (8th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2026-39329
Affected product: Linux Linux Kernel
Published: 2026-06-25
Last modified: 2026-07-08

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netlabel: validate unlabeled address and mask attribute lengths netlbl_unlabel_addrinfo_get() used the address attribute length to determine whether the attribute data could be read as an IPv4 or IPv6 address, but did not independently validate the corresponding mask attribute length. A crafted Generic Netlink request could therefore provide a valid IPv4/IPv6 address attribute with a shorter mask attribute, which would later be read as a full struct in_addr or struct in6_addr. NLA_BINARY policy lengths are maximum lengths by default, so use NLA_POLICY_EXACT_LEN() for the unlabeled IPv4/IPv6 address and mask attributes. This rejects short attributes during policy validation and also exposes the exact length requirements through policy introspection.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-53238?: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netlabel: validate unlabeled address and mask attribute lengths netlbl_unlabel_addrinfo_get() used the address attribute length to determine whether the attribute data could be read as an IPv4 or IPv6 address, but did not independently validate the corresponding mask attribute length. A crafted Generic Netlink request could therefore provide a valid IPv4/IPv6 address attribute with a shorter mask attribute, which would later be read as a full struct in_addr or struct in6_addr. NLA_BINARY policy lengths are maximum lengths by default, so use NLA_POLICY_EXACT_LEN() for the unlabeled IPv4/IPv6 address and mask attributes. This rejects short attributes during policy validation and also exposes the exact length requirements through policy introspection.
How severe is CVE-2026-53238?: CVE-2026-53238 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2026-53238 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (8th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-53238?: CVE-2026-53238 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 8 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2026-53238?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2026-53238 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2026-53238 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-39329.
When was CVE-2026-53238 published?: CVE-2026-53238 was published on 2026-06-25 and last updated on 2026-07-08.

References

Affected products (8)

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:*

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