HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2026-31518
MEDIUM

CVE-2026-31518

Published: April 22, 2026· Updated: Apr 28, 2026

5.5
CVSS v3.1
EPSS:0.02%probability of exploitation in 30 daysPercentile:6.8th

Official Description

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

esp: fix skb leak with espintcp and async crypto

When the TX queue for espintcp is full, esp_output_tail_tcp will

return an error and not free the skb, because with synchronous crypto,

the common xfrm output code will drop the packet for us.

With async crypto (esp_output_done), we need to drop the skb when

esp_output_tail_tcp returns an error.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2026-31518 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

A successful exploit results in availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 5.5.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Linux1 product
linux kernel
Source: NVD CPE · 2 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

PATCHhttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0c0eef8ccd2413b0a10eb6bbd3442333b1e64dd2
PATCHhttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/41aafca57de4a4c026701622bd4648f112a9edcd
PATCHhttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4820847e036ff1035b01b69ad68dfc17e7028fe9
PATCHhttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6a3ec6efbc4f90e0ccb2e71574f07351f19996f4
PATCHhttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6aa9841d917532d0f2d932d1ff2f3a94305aaf47
PATCHhttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/88d386243ed374ac969dabd3bbc1409a31d81818
PATCHhttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aca3ad0c262f54a5b5c95dda80a48365997d1224
PATCHhttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/df6f995358dc1f3c42484f5cfe241d7bd3e1cd15

All References (8)

→
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0c0eef8ccd2413b0a10eb6bbd3442333b1e64dd2Patch
→
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/41aafca57de4a4c026701622bd4648f112a9edcdPatch
→
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4820847e036ff1035b01b69ad68dfc17e7028fe9Patch
→
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6a3ec6efbc4f90e0ccb2e71574f07351f19996f4Patch
→
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6aa9841d917532d0f2d932d1ff2f3a94305aaf47Patch
→
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/88d386243ed374ac969dabd3bbc1409a31d81818Patch
→
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aca3ad0c262f54a5b5c95dda80a48365997d1224Patch
→
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/df6f995358dc1f3c42484f5cfe241d7bd3e1cd15Patch

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2026-31518
CVSS Score5.5 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
CISA KEVNo
EPSS (30d)0.02%
Affected1 vendor
PublishedApr 22, 2026

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2026-31518 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
← All Vulnerabilities·Search for CVE-2026-31518·NVD