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Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-98969

🗓️ 23 Oct 2026 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 3 Views

Unterminated algo in net/sched: em_text allows request_module to execute arbitrary code.

Related
Refs
Code
ReporterTitlePublishedViews
Family
circl
Circl
CVE-2026-98969
23 Oct 202613:19
–circl
cve
CVE
CVE-2026-98969
23 Oct 202612:19
–cve
cvelist
Cvelist
CVE-2026-98969 net/sched: em_text: reject unterminated algo before autoload
23 Oct 202612:19
–cvelist
debiancve
Debian CVE
CVE-2026-98969
23 Oct 202612:19
–debiancve
euvd
EUVD
EUVD-2026-108763
23 Oct 202612:19
–euvd
nvd
NVD
CVE-2026-98969
23 Oct 202613:17
–nvd
osv_debian
osv_debian
DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98969
23 Oct 202613:17
–osv_debian
ptsecurity
Positive Technologies
PT-2026-121946
23 Oct 202600:00
–ptsecurity
#%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80900
##
# (C) Tenable, Inc.
##

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(371546);
  script_version("1.1");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2026/10/23");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2026-98969");

  script_name(english:"Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-98969");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be
patched.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied
patch available.

  - net/sched: em_text: reject unterminated algo before autoload This is a follow-up to commit 9c572a83037a
    (net/sched: fix potential stack infoleak in em_text_dump()), which zero-initialised the dump-side
    struct. Sashiko pointed at a pre-existing bug that exposed the change-side input-validation gap open.
    em_text_change() casts the raw netlink attribute payload to struct tcf_em_text and passes conf->algo, a
    16-byte array with no enforced NUL terminator, to textsearch_prepare(). On the TS_AUTOLOAD retry
    textsearch_prepare() calls request_module(ts_%s, algo); vsnprintf() walks %s until it finds a NUL, so an
    algo[] with no NUL reads past the array into the adjacent struct fields and payload and feeds those bytes
    to the usermode helper command line. This is an out-of-bounds read and a kernel memory disclosure. Reject
    the attribute when no NUL exists within TC_EM_TEXT_ALGOSIZ bytes, matching the check xt_string has had
    since 3ab720881b6e. Conditions to recreate the bug: - CAP_NET_ADMIN on the target netns (namespace-local
    via unshare -Urn is enough) - install clsact on an interface, then add a basic filter with one text ematch
    whose algo[] is 16 bytes with no NUL (e.g. A*16) and pattern_len at least 1 - the add fails with -ENOENT
    and the kernel invokes modprobe with a module name made of ts_ plus the 16 bytes and the adjacent
    payload (CVE-2026-98969)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-98969");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"There is no known solution at this time.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"agent", value:"unix");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2026-98969");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"No known exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"false");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vendor_unpatched", value:"true");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2026/10/23");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2026/10/23");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:12.0");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:debian:debian_linux:linux");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"generated_plugin", value:"current");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"Misc.");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2026 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");

  script_dependencies("ssh_get_info2.nasl", "set_linux_os_id.nasl");
  script_require_keys("Host/cpu", "Host/local_checks_enabled", "global_settings/vendor_unpatched", "Host/OS/identifier");
  script_require_ports("Host/OS/Debian Linux-12");

  exit(0);
}

if (!get_kb_item("global_settings/vendor_unpatched")) exit(0, "Unpatched Vulnerabilities Detection not active.");
if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
if (empty_or_null(get_one_kb_item("Host/Debian/dpkg-l"))) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);

include('linux_unpatched.inc');

var distro_constraints_array = {
  "Debian Linux-12": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "12",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "btrfs-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "cdrom-core-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "ext4-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "fat-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "isofs-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "jfs-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "kernel-image-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "linux-doc"},
          {"reference": "linux-doc-6.1"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.1.0"},
          {"reference": "linux-source"},
          {"reference": "linux-source-6.1"},
          {"reference": "linux-support-6.1.0"},
          {"reference": "loop-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "nic-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "nic-shared-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "nic-wireless-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "pata-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "ppp-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "scsi-core-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "scsi-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "scsi-nic-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "serial-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "usb-serial-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "xfs-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
};

var distro_constraints_values = linux_unpatched::get_distro_constraints(distro_constraints_arr:distro_constraints_array);
if (empty_or_null(distro_constraints_values)) audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');

var third_party_support = get_kb_item('Host/OS/extended-third-party');
if (!empty_or_null(third_party_support)) {
    var third_party_vendors = distro_constraints_values['third_party'];
    if (!empty_or_null(third_party_vendors)) {
        var vendor;
        foreach vendor (third_party_vendors) {
            if (vendor == third_party_support) exit(0, 'A third party management patch is available for this vulnerability from ' + vendor + '.\n');
        }
    }
}

var report = linux_unpatched::check_unpatched_constraints(distro_constraints_values:distro_constraints_values);

if (!empty_or_null(report))
{
  security_report_v4(
      port       : 0,
      severity   : SECURITY_WARNING,
      extra      : report
  );
  exit(0);
}
else
{
  audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
}

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23 Oct 2026 00:00Current
5.9Medium risk
Vulners AI Score5.9
EPSS0.00209
3