In the Linux kernel, the af_packet interface was allowing zero‑length packets to be transmitted via the tpacket_snd() path. The empty skb caused a length assertion failure in the network stack, bringing the kernel to an error state. While not a remote code execution flaw, the resulting kernel panic can be leveraged to crash or disrupt the system, effectively creating a denial‑of‑service condition. This weakness is a missing validation on packet length in af_packet.

Any Linux system running a kernel that still contains the unpatched af_packet implementation is affected. The issue originates from the core Linux kernel; affected products include all Linux distributions using versions that lack the recent commit f09ac5682f1bb67981fcb6ead4d3cfe439225876. The exact range of affected versions is not identified but applies to kernels prior to the application of the fix.

The CVE does not have an assigned CVSS score or EPSS value and is not listed in CISA’s KEV catalog. The bug can be triggered by sending a zero‑length packet through a packet socket, which an attacker could do from local or remote. The vulnerability requires that the target host is exposed to a tpacket interface; exploitation would likely be local or remote network traffic. The lack of a publicly available exploit and absence from KEV suggests a moderate risk, but because the flaw can cause a kernel crash, it deserves attention.