CVE-2026-72227: batman-adv: mcast: avoid OOB read of num_dests header

Severity: high (CVSS 8.1 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.3% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-08-15 · updated 2026-08-17

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: batman-adv: mcast: avoid OOB read of num_dests header Before the access to struct batadv_tvlv_mcast_tracker's num_dests, it is attempted to check whether enough space is actually in the network header. But instead of using offsetofend() to check for the whole size (2) which must be accessible, offsetof() of is called. The latter is always returning 0. The comparison with the network header length will always return that enough data is available - even when only 1 or 0 bytes are accessible. Instead of using offsetofend(), use the more common check for the whole header.

Affected products

Linux kernel: 6.8 — fixed in 7.2

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 7.2. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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