Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessGain adjacent L2 network access
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DeliverySend crafted LLC/802.2 frames
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ExploitForce llc_mac_hdr_init() failure on error path
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ExecutionTrigger use-after-free and double-free of skb
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ImpactCorrupt kernel memory or crash host
Vulnerability Assessment
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires the target to have the Linux LLC (IEEE 802.2) code path reachable and requires the attacker to be on the same Layer-2/adjacent network (AV:A) so that crafted LLC frames reach the affected handlers - llc_conn_ac_resend_i_xxx_x_set_0_or_send_rr(), llc_sap_action_send_xid_r(), and llc_sap_action_send_test_r(). The trigger is the error path where llc_mac_hdr_init() fails; the specific condition that forces this failure is not described in the available sources, and reaching it reliably is non-trivial (reflected in AC:H). Limiting factors: no authentication is needed (PR:N) and no user interaction (UI:N), but exploitation is bounded to adjacent attackers, to systems where LLC is actually exercised (a legacy/rarely-used protocol), and to successfully steering execution down a low-frequency error branch - which substantially constrains real-world exploitability beyond the 7.5 base score. |
| Impact | This is a memory-safety flaw (use-after-free, double-free, and memory leak) in the Linux kernel's LLC (IEEE 802.2 Logical Link Control) subsystem, triggered on the error path when llc_mac_hdr_init() fails. The supplied CVSS vector (CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, base 7.5) describes an adjacent-network, high-complexity, unauthenticated issue with high confidentiality/integrity/availability impact - consistent with a UAF that both reads freed memory (LLC_I_GET_NR(pdu)) and double-frees an skb. However, the real-world exploitation signals point much lower: EPSS is only 0.21% (11th percentile), the CVE is NOT on CISA KEV, and no public exploit or PoC reference appears in the input. The vuln.today priority is 'this_week' (not act_now/emergency) and a vendor patch is available. The signals are therefore coherent rather than conflicting: a genuinely patch-worthy kernel memory-corruption bug, but with low probability of widespread opportunistic exploitation because it requires adjacent (same L2 segment) access, depends on forcing an error path (AC:H) that is not attacker-friendly to reach reliably, and affects a legacy, rarely-enabled protocol (LLC). Note the input Tags label this 'Information Disclosure', which only partially captures the flaw - the primary mechanism is UAF/double-free (memory corruption / DoS, with potential for more), and the freed-memory read is one component. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker on the same Layer-2 segment sends crafted LLC (802.2) frames to a host with LLC processing active, timed or shaped so that llc_mac_hdr_init() fails inside one of the affected action handlers; the kernel then leaks or operates on a freed skb and double-frees it, corrupting kernel memory. In practice this most reliably yields a kernel crash (denial of service), with use-after-free offering a theoretical path to further impact. No public exploit or PoC is identified in the available sources, and exactly how to force llc_mac_hdr_init() to fail is not described in the input. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 24, 2026
Memory-safety errors in the Linux kernel's LLC (IEEE 802.2 Logical Link Control) connection and SAP action handlers can be triggered by crafted LLC frames from an adjacent Layer-2 network segment when llc_mac_hdr_init() fails. The buggy error paths free the wrong socket buffer in llc_conn_ac_resend_i_xxx_x_set_0_or_send_rr() - causing a use-after-free read of LLC_I_GET_NR(pdu), a double-free when llc_conn_state_process() drops its reference, and a leak of the newly allocated nskb - while llc_sap_action_send_xid_r() and llc_sap_action_send_test_r() simply leak nskb. There is no confirmed active exploitation (not in CISA KEV) and no verified working exploit code, EPSS is low at 0.21% (11th percentile), and real-world risk is constrained by the rarity of LLC use and the difficulty of forcing the llc_mac_hdr_init() failure branch (AC:H).
RemediationAI
Vendor-released patch: upgrade to Linux 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.55, 7.2.9 or 7.3-rc5 depending on your maintained branch, or apply the corresponding upstream stable commits (fec0fe6838a7f45175667701fb51abb23a6ffb1e, b859ba18b5a1067f71db5618c6a4a70d55fa308b, 8b855b645841b5a04e20339a22bb6d593c9b790d, d360b31f1a3666579422872aa7d1a751e20b76f9, 060f827aa3dc47939ee306da715cd6700d129616, 41dcae82bece9f106b4dff0ee777bba8d157c8a8, cb3528ad8bb46fa6252f5d14ced7febddc18515d, 72f9dd522f8d6c5a00be9695c7bb74631eb5069e) from git.kernel.org. Because exploitation is confined to adjacent Layer-2 attackers and requires the LLC code path to be reachable, environments that do not use IEEE 802.2 can reduce exposure by not loading the llc module and not creating AF_LLC sockets; this removes the attack surface but breaks any legacy 802.2/NetBIOS-dependent application, and the module may still auto-load on some frame types, so verify with lsmod after blocking it. Patch guidance is also tracked in the NVD entry at https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98555.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
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Technical ContextAI · show details
LLC is the IEEE 802.2 sublayer that sits above Ethernet/802.11 MAC layers and is exercised mainly by legacy protocols (STP/802.1D-adjacent traffic, NetBIOS/NetBEUI, SNA, some industrial and mainframe-emulation stacks); it is reachable via AF_LLC sockets and 802.2 frame reception, and it is rarely enabled in modern deployments. The flaw is a pure error-path resource-management defect: llc_mac_hdr_init() builds the MAC header on a newly allocated skb (nskb) and returns an error when that construction fails. In llc_conn_ac_resend_i_xxx_x_set_0_or_send_rr(), the error branch calls kfree_skb(skb) on the original buffer rather than the new nskb, which leaks nskb, then dereferences LLC_I_GET_NR(pdu) on the already-freed skb (use-after-free read), and finally double-frees skb when llc_conn_state_process() releases its own reference. The same error path in llc_sap_action_send_xid_r() and llc_sap_action_send_test_r() leaks nskb without freeing it. The fix frees nskb on all three failure paths, restoring correct reference ownership. The CVSS vector (AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N) reflects an adjacent-network, unauthenticated attacker who must steer execution into a low-frequency error branch; CWE is not assigned in the source data, but the class is use-after-free/double-free plus memory leak.
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Severity by source
AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
LLC frames are link-local so AV:A and PR:N; reaching the llc_mac_hdr_init() failure branch is an uncommon error path, so AC:H; a kernel UAF/double-free can yield full C/I/A impact.
Primary rating from Vendor (Linux).
CVSS VectorVendor: Linux
Lifecycle Timeline
4DescriptionCVE.org
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
llc: fix skb UAF and leaks on llc_mac_hdr_init() failure
In llc_conn_ac_resend_i_xxx_x_set_0_or_send_rr(), if llc_mac_hdr_init() fails, kfree_skb(skb) is called instead of kfree_skb(nskb). This leaks the newly allocated nskb, reads from the freed skb via LLC_I_GET_NR(pdu), and double-frees skb when llc_conn_state_process() drops its reference.
In llc_sap_action_send_xid_r() and llc_sap_action_send_test_r(), nskb is leaked if llc_mac_hdr_init() returns an error.
Free nskb in all three error paths.
Executive ViewAI
A high-severity memory-safety flaw in the Linux kernel's legacy LLC networking handlers can be triggered by crafted Layer-2 frames from an adjacent network segment, potentially causing system instability or crashes on affected hosts. Leadership should care because LLC traffic is uncommon in modern environments, but any exposed Linux systems on shared Layer-2 segments could be made unreliable, affecting availability for dependent business services.
Apply vendor patch.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.
EUVD-2026-103600
GHSA-q422-9435-7hfq
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Exploit-DB