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CVE-2026-22983

5.5 · MEDIUM

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: do not write to msg_get_inq in callee NULL pointer dereference fix.

Published Jan 23, 2026CWE-476EPSS 0.12%

Overview

CVE-2026-22983 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on January 23, 2026 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

Technical description

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

net: do not write to msg_get_inq in callee

NULL pointer dereference fix.

msg_get_inq is an input field from caller to callee. Don't set it in

the callee, as the caller may not clear it on struct reuse.

This is a kernel-internal variant of msghdr only, and the only user

does reinitialize the field. So this is not critical for that reason.

But it is more robust to avoid the write, and slightly simpler code.

And it fixes a bug, see below.

Callers set msg_get_inq to request the input queue length to be

returned in msg_inq. This is equivalent to but independent from the

SO_INQ request to return that same info as a cmsg (tp->recvmsg_inq).

To reduce branching in the hot path the second also sets the msg_inq.

That is WAI.

This is a fix to commit 4d1442979e4a ("af_unix: don't post cmsg for

SO_INQ unless explicitly asked for"), which fixed the inverse.

Also avoid NULL pointer dereference in unix_stream_read_generic if

sta

Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-22983?

CVE-2026-22983 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on January 23, 2026 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2026-22983?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2026-22983?

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2026-22983?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2026-22983 is actually reachable in your own applications and APIs, then verifies each finding before reporting it. That tells you if the weakness is a real, exploitable risk in your environment or a false positive you can safely deprioritize.

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