CVE-2026-74709

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's xsk (AF_XDP sockets) component. A local attacker, by manipulating metadata flags after request processing, could cause the kernel to write a timestamp into the metadata area even when not explicitly requested. This could lead to unintended data modification within the metadata.

This vulnerability is rated as having a Low impact because exploitation requires local access with permissions to operate AF_XDP sockets, and the resulting write operation is strictly bounded within the packet metadata area. In typical Red Hat Enterprise Linux deployments, AF_XDP sockets are only utilized by specialized high-performance networking applications and are not active by default. Because the flaw only alters metadata fields within an application's allocated packet descriptor ring without corrupting broader kernel memory, it poses minimal risk to overall host security.

The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.