Kernel-level OOB in the Linux SMC subsystem can crash or compromise Linux servers; impacts core OS used across enterprises.
CVE-2026-80986
SMC-Rv2 Linux kernel OOB read leading to kernel compromise or crash
Is CVE-2026-80986 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-80986 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-2026-80986?
CVE-2026-80986 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-2026-80986?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-80986. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-80986 affect?
CVE-2026-80986 affects Linux kernel (SMC/SMC-R subsystem) prior to patch, RDMA/SMC-enabled servers, Virtualized hosts with SMC support. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-80986?
Apply vendor/kernel updates or disable SMC/SMC-R until patched
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Out-of-bounds kernel memory access during SMC-Rv2 link setup causing kernel panic, potential local privilege escalation or remote code execution.
Immediate action required
- affected>= 27ef6a9981fe74191849966a6d5e0400a4008ab8 and < 486c699a8cde82c1d9b4f443eeab4ddf86358cb0
- affected>= 27ef6a9981fe74191849966a6d5e0400a4008ab8 and < 5e5d9e6df677d30a2203d257b5fd8b99814fa607
- affected>= 27ef6a9981fe74191849966a6d5e0400a4008ab8 and < 2d1e7c5aaa3326e95e2058457f172ca99a9a4577
- affected6.14
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.