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CriticalPatch · 2026-10-30

Linux kernel CVE-2026-98432: no-login remote root via MPTCP listeners

SockAnalyst · Security+ certified analyst.

What happened

A TCP use-after-free (CVSS 9.8) that Anthropic turned into an unauthenticated remote root exploit on servers with an MPTCP listener. Go 1.24+ apps open MPTCP listeners by default. No in-the-wild exploitation reported yet; not in KEV.

Who's affected

Linux servers exposing MPTCP listeners, including many Go 1.24+ services.

✅ Fix / patch

  • Install a patched kernel and reboot: fixed in 5.10.272, 5.15.223, 6.1.190, 6.6.159, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10, 7.3.
  • Stopgap: sysctl -w net.mptcp.enabled=0 and GODEBUG=multipathtcp=0 for Go apps.

🔎 Quick hunt check

sudo ss -lnMp lists MPTCP listeners; uname -r shows your running kernel.

MITRE ATT&CK: T1210, T1068

IOCs

No IOCs (IPs, domains or hashes) published by the sources yet.

Hunt queries

Starting points built only from published indicators. Field names vary; tune before use.

index=os (sourcetype=linux_secure OR sourcetype=syslog OR sourcetype=Unix:Version) ("uname" OR kernel_release=*)
| rex field=_raw "Linux \S+ (?<kernel_release>\d+\.\d+\.\d+)"
| stats latest(kernel_release) as kernel by host
| eval note="compare with fixed: 5.10.272 / 5.15.223 / 6.1.190 / 6.6.159 / 6.12.113 / 6.18.56 / 7.2.10 / 7.3"
// Defender for Endpoint inventory: Linux hosts and kernel versions to check against the fixed releases
DeviceInfo
| where OSPlatform == "Linux"
| summarize arg_max(TimeGenerated, OSVersion, OSDistribution, PublicIP) by DeviceName
| project DeviceName, OSDistribution, OSVersion, PublicIP

See all hunt queries →

⏱ CISA deadline

Not in CISA KEV as of Nov 14, 2026.

Sources

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