CVE-2026-31494 Linux CVE debrief

Who should care

Users of Linux kernel versions 4.16.1 to 5.10.253, 5.11 to 5.15.203, 5.16 to 6.1.168, 6.2 to 6.6.131, 6.7 to 6.12.80, 6.13 to 6.18.21, 6.19 to 6.19.11, and 7.0 rc1 to rc7 should apply patches to mitigate this vulnerability. Operators, platform administrators, vulnerability management teams, and security teams should review the vulnerability and apply patches or mitigations as necessary.

Technical summary

The Linux kernel's macb driver is vulnerable to an out-of-bounds write due to a mismatch between the memory reserved for statistics and the amount of memory written. The gem_get_ethtool_stats function copies data using the maximum number of queues, which can lead to an out-of-bounds write when the number of active queues is less than the maximum. This issue has been resolved by making sure the copied size only considers the active number of queues.

Defensive priority

High priority should be given to patching Linux kernel versions 4.16.1 to 5.10.253, 5.11 to 5.15.203, 5.16 to 6.1.168, 6.2 to 6.6.131, 6.7 to 6.12.80, 6.13 to 6.18.21, 6.19 to 6.19.11, and 7.0 rc1 to rc7.

Recommended defensive actions

• Apply patches from Linux kernel stable branches
• Inventory Linux kernel versions for potential exposure
• Monitor for potential out-of-bounds write attempts
• Consider compensating controls for affected systems
• Review relevant monitoring, detection, and logs for exposed assets that need extra review
• Track exceptions, retest remediated assets, and close the item only after evidence is documented
• Confirm whether affected product deployments exist in managed environments and assign an owner for follow-up

Evidence notes

The CVE record was published on 2026-04-22T14:16:47.293Z and was last modified on 2026-07-14T13:18:43.183Z. The NVD entry is currently Modified. This information is based on the supplied source corpus and has not been independently verified. Defenders should verify the accuracy of this information with official sources.

Sources and references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.