HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2026-31531
MEDIUM

CVE-2026-31531

Published: April 23, 2026· Updated: Apr 28, 2026

5.5
CVSS v3.1
EPSS:0.01%probability of exploitation in 30 daysPercentile:1.2th

Official Description

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

ipv4: nexthop: allocate skb dynamically in rtm_get_nexthop()

When querying a nexthop object via RTM_GETNEXTHOP, the kernel currently

allocates a fixed-size skb using NLMSG_GOODSIZE. While sufficient for

single nexthops and small Equal-Cost Multi-Path groups, this fixed

allocation fails for large nexthop groups like 512 nexthops.

This results in the following warning splat:

WARNING: net/ipv4/nexthop.c:3395 at rtm_get_nexthop+0x176/0x1c0, CPU#20: rep/4608

[...]

RIP: 0010:rtm_get_nexthop (net/ipv4/nexthop.c:3395)

[...]

Call Trace:

<TASK>

rtnetlink_rcv_msg (net/core/rtnetlink.c:6989)

netlink_rcv_skb (net/netlink/af_netlink.c:2550)

netlink_unicast (net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1319 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1344)

netlink_sendmsg (net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1894)

____sys_sendmsg (net/socket.c:721 net/socket.c:736 net/socket.c:2585)

___sys_sendmsg (net/socket.c:2641)

__sys_sendmsg (net/socket.c:2671)

do_syscall_64 (arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94)

entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe (arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:130)

</TASK>

Fix this by allocating the size dynamically using nh_nlmsg_size() and

using nlmsg_new(), this is consistent with nexthop_notify() behavior. In

addition, adjust nh_nlmsg_size_grp() so it calculates the size needed

based on flags passed. While at it, also add the size of NHA_FDB for

nexthop group size calculation as it was missing too.

This cannot be reproduced via iproute2 as the group size is currently

limited and the command fails as follows:

addattr_l ERROR: message exceeded bound of 1048

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2026-31531 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
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

All References (4)

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2026-31531
CVSS Score5.5 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
CISA KEVNo
EPSS (30d)0.01%
Affected1 vendor
PublishedApr 23, 2026

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2026-31531 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.