CVE-2026-98838
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
vt: skip screen update for DEC alignment test on backgroup consoles
[BUG] Recently, we encountered a KASAN warning as follows:
reproduce: 1) open /dev/tty0, set a KDFONTOP ioctl with op.op = KD_FONT_OP_SET, op.width = 8 and op.height = 16 (visible VC1) 2) open /dev/tty1, set a KDFONTOP ioctl with op.op = KD_FONT_OP_SET, op.width = 28 and op.height = 24 (invisible VC2) 3) echo 3 > /sys/devices/virtual/graphics/fbcon/rotate_all 4) write EShash8(esc hash8) to tty1
[CAUSE] All VCs render to the framebuffer. setfont only modifies the target VC's font without resizing the framebuffer backing buffer (par->rotated.buf); the buffer is only resized for the visible VC (fbcon_do_set_font -> ... -> vc_do_resize -> update_screen).
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This relies on the con_should_update() check performed before every update_region().
However, the ESC # 8 path (do_con_trol -> do_update_region) omits the con_should_update() check. After changing the font size of an invisible VC, do_update_region() fills using the new font size against a buffer that was never resized, causing an out-of-bounds access.
[FIX] Only push the update when the console is visible and not blanked, add the con_should_update() check in the do_con_trol() like every other call site of do_update_region() (update_region(), invert_screen(), ...).
Technical details traces, logs and code from the original report
BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in fb_pad_aligned_buffer+0x11f/0x140 Read of size 1 at addr ff1100015fd9f6a4 by task tty_fbcon_oob/1239 CPU: 7 UID: 0 PID: 1239 Comm: tty_fbcon_oob Not tainted 7.3.0-rc1 #100 PREEMPT(full) Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.17.0-4.fc41 04/01/2014 Call Trace: <TASK> ... kasan_report+0xf0/0x120 fb_pad_aligned_buffer+0x11f/0x140 ccw_putcs+0x86c/0xa80 fbcon_putcs+0x338/0x410 do_update_region+0x21d/0x450 do_con_write+0x1e0e/0x4880 con_write+0x13/0x80 n_tty_write+0x374/0x1010 file_tty_write.isra.0+0x404/0x7a0 ...
CVSS
NVD hasn't assigned a CVSS score to this CVE (common since the April 2026 policy change).
Exploitation probability (EPSS)
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
- 0.17 %
- Percentile among all scored CVEs
- 6
- Score date
- 10/20/2026
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST) estimates how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited in the wild within 30 days. It complements CVSS (impact) and CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).
Affected technologies (1)
⚠ AI-inferred from the description — NVD hasn't analyzed this CVE yet, these aren't verified CPEs.
References
Show 4 references
Raw JSON (NVD)
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{
"id": "CVE-2026-98838",
"cveTags": [],
"metrics": {},
"affected": [
{
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"affectedData": [
{
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"product": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2",
"lessThan": "985c000b046ca4ee11ee34ef85db500c569ef6e8",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2",
"lessThan": "ad06f7312d3f615dd466483ce81a9b9619166686",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2",
"lessThan": "0ee53081425a1a31ce15089012cd96b8353eb44e",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2",
"lessThan": "0928ed9bd7946baee911efa401088697836e3b1e",
"versionType": "git"
}
],
"programFiles": [
"drivers/tty/vt/vt.c"
],
"defaultStatus": "unaffected"
},
{
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"product": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "2.6.12"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "0",
"lessThan": "2.6.12",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.12.113",
"versionType": "semver",
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.18.56",
"versionType": "semver",
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "7.2.10",
"versionType": "semver",
"lessThanOrEqual": "7.2.*"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "7.3",
"versionType": "original_commit_for_fix",
"lessThanOrEqual": "*"
}
],
"programFiles": [
"drivers/tty/vt/vt.c"
],
"defaultStatus": "affected"
}
]
}
],
"published": "2026-10-18T16:17:38.060",
"references": [
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0928ed9bd7946baee911efa401088697836e3b1e",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0ee53081425a1a31ce15089012cd96b8353eb44e",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/985c000b046ca4ee11ee34ef85db500c569ef6e8",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ad06f7312d3f615dd466483ce81a9b9619166686",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
}
],
"vulnStatus": "Received",
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nvt: skip screen update for DEC alignment test on backgroup consoles\n\n[BUG]\nRecently, we encountered a KASAN warning as follows:\n\nBUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in fb_pad_aligned_buffer+0x11f/0x140\nRead of size 1 at addr ff1100015fd9f6a4 by task tty_fbcon_oob/1239\nCPU: 7 UID: 0 PID: 1239 Comm: tty_fbcon_oob Not tainted 7.3.0-rc1 #100 PREEMPT(full)\nHardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.17.0-4.fc41 04/01/2014\nCall Trace:\n <TASK>\n ...\n kasan_report+0xf0/0x120\n fb_pad_aligned_buffer+0x11f/0x140\n ccw_putcs+0x86c/0xa80\n fbcon_putcs+0x338/0x410\n do_update_region+0x21d/0x450\n do_con_write+0x1e0e/0x4880\n con_write+0x13/0x80\n n_tty_write+0x374/0x1010\n file_tty_write.isra.0+0x404/0x7a0\n ...\n\nreproduce:\n1) open /dev/tty0, set a KDFONTOP ioctl with op.op = KD_FONT_OP_SET,\nop.width = 8 and op.height = 16 (visible VC1)\n2) open /dev/tty1, set a KDFONTOP ioctl with op.op = KD_FONT_OP_SET,\nop.width = 28 and op.height = 24 (invisible VC2)\n3) echo 3 > /sys/devices/virtual/graphics/fbcon/rotate_all\n4) write EShash8(esc hash8) to tty1\n\n[CAUSE]\nAll VCs render to the framebuffer. setfont only modifies the target VC's\nfont without resizing the framebuffer backing buffer (par->rotated.buf);\nthe buffer is only resized for the visible VC\n(fbcon_do_set_font -> ... -> vc_do_resize -> update_screen). This relies on\nthe con_should_update() check performed before every update_region().\n\nHowever, the ESC # 8 path (do_con_trol -> do_update_region) omits the\ncon_should_update() check. After changing the font size of an invisible VC,\ndo_update_region() fills using the new font size against a buffer that was\nnever resized, causing an out-of-bounds access.\n\n[FIX]\nOnly push the update when the console is visible and not blanked, add\nthe con_should_update() check in the do_con_trol() like every other call\nsite of do_update_region() (update_region(), invert_screen(), ...)."
}
],
"lastModified": "2026-10-19T10:19:47.853",
"sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
}