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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2026-52978

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-06-24
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.18.33 / 7.0.10 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click Patch available 8 weeks old

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: psp: require admin permission for dev-set and key-rotate The dev-set and key-rotate netlink operations modify shared device state (PSP version configuration and cryptographic key material, respectively) but do not require CAP_NET_ADMIN. The only access control is psp_dev_check_access() which merely verifies netns membership.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The Linux kernel's PSP (likely Performance Scaling Protocol or similar network subsystem) netlink interface lacks proper authorization for sensitive operations. The dev-set and key-rotate netlink commands allow modification of PSP version configuration and cryptographic key material respectively, but only verify network namespace membership via psp_dev_check_access() without requiring CAP_NET_ADMIN. This allows any user with netns access to modify critical shared device state and cryptographic material.

MitigationApply the kernel patch to enforce CAP_NET_ADMIN requirement for dev-set and key-rotate operations; restrict access to trusted administrators until patch is deployed.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:>= 6.18, < 6.18.33>= 6.19, < 7.0.10= 7.1

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check kernel version against affected ranges
    Run `uname -r` or check `/proc/version` to obtain the running kernel version. Compare it to the affected ranges: >= 6.18 and < 6.18.33; >= 6.19 and < 7.0.10; or exactly 7.1
    Affected if Kernel version falls within any of the affected version ranges
  2. Determine if PSP subsystem is enabled
    Look for PSP-related kernel modules via `lsmod | grep psp` or check kernel config with `zcat /proc/config.gz 2>/dev/null | grep -i psp` or check `/boot/config-$(uname -r)` for PSP options
    Affected if PSP module is loaded or PSP support is compiled into the kernel
  3. Identify PSP netlink interface presence
    Check for PSP-related netlink sockets or device nodes: examine `/sys/class/net` for psp interfaces, or look for psp entries in `/proc/net/netlink` or use `ss -a` to list netlink sockets
    Affected if A PSP netlink interface exists in the system
  4. Verify network namespace access
    Check if unprivileged user namespace creation is permitted: `cat /proc/sys/kernel/unprivileged_userns_clone` (if available) or attempt to create a namespace with `unshare --net` to confirm access
    Affected if User has the ability to create or access non-initial network namespaces

User is affected if running a kernel in the affected version range, the PSP subsystem is enabled, and the user has network namespace access capabilities.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 6.18.33 / 7.0.10 or later
Fixed in 6.18.337.0.10
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Interim mitigation

Apply the kernel patch to enforce CAP_NET_ADMIN requirement for dev-set and key-rotate operations; restrict access to trusted administrators until patch is deployed.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to kernel version 6.18.33, 7.0.10, or the latest stable kernel (7.2+)

  1. Identify the current running kernel version using `uname -r`
  2. Check if the running version is affected: 6.18.x before 6.18.33, 6.19.x/7.0.x before 7.0.10, or 7.1.x
  3. If affected, upgrade the Linux kernel to a fixed version: 6.18.33 or later, 7.0.10 or later, or the latest stable version (7.2 or later if available)
  4. Update bootloader configuration if necessary (e.g., update-grub for GRUB)
  5. Reboot the system into the new kernel
  6. Verify the fix is applied by checking the kernel version and confirming the PSP netlink operations now require CAP_NET_ADMIN
Caveat Kernel upgrades may introduce compatibility changes with drivers or modules; ensure critical hardware support exists in the target version before production deployment

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Linux Kernel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing10.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
23.0 hours of engineering $3,900
Get the upgrade done

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Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-52978 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data