Linux: Incorrect Conversion between Numeric Types
CVE-2026-98143 is a high-severity incorrect conversion between numeric types vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 6b08adbda8ea797849e3654ce12cb3856ce6051a, db9deec5a345abc538d081fb221dc0b00a9695bd as the first without the flaw, so updating Linux to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.11% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Linux to 6b08adbda8ea797849e3654ce12cb3856ce6051a or db9deec5a345abc538d081fb221dc0b00a9695bd, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 7.2.7 or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 5a5e9c0228e613f0ef2a58b9782d7c0ea8f1e58b up to, but not including, 6b08adbda8ea797849e3654ce12cb3856ce6051a; 5a5e9c0228e613f0ef2a58b9782d7c0ea8f1e58b up to, but not including, db9deec5a345abc538d081fb221dc0b00a9695bd; 6.19 | 6b08adbda8ea797849e3654ce12cb3856ce6051a, db9deec5a345abc538d081fb221dc0b00a9695bd |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.19 up to, but not including, 7.2.7; 7.3 | 7.2.7 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: accel: ethosu: Don't read the U65 rounding mode as a storage mode Bits 15:14 of NPU_SET_{IFM,OFM}_PRECISION select the activation storage mode on U85 only. On U65 the same field holds the rounding mode, and the command stream parser has read it as a storage mode since the driver was added. That went unnoticed while unknown values fell through the switch, but now that they are rejected, every U65 command stream that asks for natural rounding (2) fails CMDSTREAM_BO_CREATE with -EINVAL. Mesa emits it for average pooling, concatenation, split, unpack, strided slice, LUT and argmax, which is 72 failures of the Teflon test suite on an i.MX93. Truncating rounding (1) is misread as well: it picks the two-tile address path and computes a bogus feature map size from tile bases the command stream never set. Read the field as a storage mode only on the hardware where it is one.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Incorrect Conversion between Numeric Types
When converting from one data type to another, such as long to integer, data can be omitted or translated in a way that produces unexpected values. If the resulting values are used in a sensitive context, then dangerous behaviors may occur.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Avoid making conversion between numeric types. Always check for the allowed ranges.
More Incorrect Conversion between Numeric Types vulnerabilities (CWE-681)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Recent Incorrect Conversion between Numeric Types vulnerabilities
- 8.9 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.7 High severity
- 8.4 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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