Linux Kernel TCP Flaw With 9.8 CVSS Score Affects Ubuntu, Red Hat and Other Distributions
MentionsLinux kernelAnthropic
A flaw in the Linux kernel's TCP code, tracked as CVE-2026-98432, affects Ubuntu, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), and other Linux distributions. The kernel's own CVE team rates it 9.8 out of 10 on the CVSS scale. Anthropic said on October 27 that its AI model wrote an exploit that uses the flaw to let a remote attacker with no credentials run commands as root on Linux servers with a
Summary from The Hacker News.
Explained
The technology and terms in this story. Learn more
- ConceptCVSS · Common Vulnerability Scoring SystemA 0–10 score for how severe a vulnerability is in theory.
- TechnologyLinux kernelThe core of Linux and Android: it controls hardware, memory and what every program is allowed to do.
- ConceptCVE · Common Vulnerabilities and ExposuresThe public ID system for vulnerabilities, such as CVE-2026-12345, so everyone means the same bug.
- ConceptExploitCode or a technique that turns a software flaw into something an attacker can actually use.
Vulnerabilities in this story
Severity and exploitation facts from NVD, FIRST, and CISA.
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