CVE-2026-22985
5.5 · MEDIUMOverview
CVE-2026-22985 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting linux linux_kernel. 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:
idpf: Fix RSS LUT NULL pointer crash on early ethtool operations
The RSS LUT is not initialized until the interface comes up, causing
the following NULL pointer crash when ethtool operations like rxhash on/off
are performed before the interface is brought up for the first time.
Move RSS LUT initialization from ndo_open to vport creation to ensure LUT
is always available. This enables RSS configuration via ethtool before
bringing the interface up. Simplify LUT management by maintaining all
changes in the driver's soft copy and programming zeros to the indirection
table when rxhash is disabled. Defer HW programming until the interface
comes up if it is down during rxhash and LUT configuration changes.
Steps to reproduce:
** Load idpf driver; interfaces will be created
modprobe idpf
** Before bringing the interfaces up, turn rxhash off
ethtool -K eth2 rxhash off
[89408.371875] BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference,
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from linux. Update linux_kernel to the latest patched version. 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.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 6.7, < 6.18.6 | Affected |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-22985?
CVE-2026-22985 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting linux linux_kernel. It was published on January 23, 2026 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).
How severe is CVE-2026-22985?
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-2026-22985?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from linux. Update linux_kernel to the latest patched version. 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-2026-22985?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2026-22985 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
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