Critical flaw in the Linux kernel (widely deployed OS) causing kernel memory corruption; high-impact for servers and infrastructure.
CVE-2026-80980
Linux kernel net/smc bitfield race causes kernel memory corruption.
Is CVE-2026-80980 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-80980 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 0.60% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2026-80980?
CVE-2026-80980 is rated Critical with a CVSS score of 9.8. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-80980?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-80980. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-80980 affect?
CVE-2026-80980 affects Linux kernel (net/smc module), Servers using SMC/SMC-R/SMC-D, Distribution kernel packages. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-80980?
Apply vendor kernel updates immediately; reboot affected hosts. Block SMC traffic if patching delayed.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Bitfield race in net/smc can cause kernel memory corruption, enabling remote crash (DoS) and potential privilege escalation or code execution.
Immediate action required
- affected>= b286a0651e4404ab96cdfdcdad8a839a26b3751e and < 313f79149eb337411c64e2c247234b62ef9a3cb9
- affected>= b286a0651e4404ab96cdfdcdad8a839a26b3751e and < 2cb7a8d64b7e8ccdc69bbe48fe9c4eaa79c33aec
- affected>= b286a0651e4404ab96cdfdcdad8a839a26b3751e and < db51a8658c11a82432b64999519a269c3aabb447
- affected5.8
As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.