Critical severity · published Jul 19, 2026
CVE-2026-63886
scsi: target: iscsi: Validate CHAP_R length before base64 decode
9.8
CVSS
0.7%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
scsi: target: iscsi: Validate CHAP_R length before base64 decode
chap_server_compute_hash() allocates client_digest as
kzalloc(chap->digest_size) and then, for BASE64-encoded responses,
passes chap_r directly to chap_base64_decode() without checking whether
the input length could produce more than digest_size bytes of output.
chap_base64_decode() writes to the destination unconditionally as long
as there is input to consume. With MAX_RESPONSE_LENGTH set to 128 and
the "0b" prefix stripped by extract_param(), up to 127 base64 characters
can reach the decoder. 127 characters decode to 95 bytes. For SHA-256
(digest_size=32) this overflows client_digest by 63 bytes; for MD5
(digest_size=16) the overflow is 79 bytes.
The length check at line 344 fires after the write has already happened.
The HEX branch in the same switch statement already validates the length
up front. Apply the same approach to the BASE64 branch: strip trailing
base64 padding characters, then reject any input whose data length
exceeds DIV_ROUND_UP(digest_size * 4, 3) before calling the decoder.
Stripping trailing '=' before the comparison handles both padded and
unpadded encodings. chap_base64_decode() already returns early on '=',
so the full original string is still passed to the decoder unchanged.
The mutual CHAP path decodes CHAP_C into initiatorchg_binhex, which is
kzalloc(CHAP_CHALLENGE_STR_LEN). extract_param() caps initiatorchg at
CHAP_CHALLENGE_STR_LEN characters, so at most CHAP_CHALLENGE_STR_LEN-1
base64 characters reach the decoder. The maximum decoded size,
DIV_ROUND_UP((CHAP_CHALLENGE_STR_LEN-1) * 3, 4), is less than
CHAP_CHALLENGE_STR_LEN, so no overflow is possible there. A comment is
added at the call site to document this.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.7% · higher than 53% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
KE
Kernel · Linux
6.0 before 6.1.176; 6.2 before 6.6.143; 6.7 before 6.12.93; 6.13 before 6.18.35; 6.19 before 7.0.12; 7.1; +4 more · source: NVD
LI
Linux · Linux
1e5733883421495908f3b90d9d807663038b4136 before 82454e6f21e56ea9a0a9de7d0ff7e1dfb83e34d6; 1e5733883421495908f3b90d9d807663038b4136 before edd06675a02376ea8347dba7c29ad982ba5b36ee; 1e5733883421495908f3b90d9d807663038b4136 before bf154c657828ed05399bca5d98cf1611bb048b12; 1e5733883421495908f3b90d9d807663038b4136 before 4a3a19c98a8207ad08bec554703d90f2c34a8cc6; 1e5733883421495908f3b90d9d807663038b4136 before c04e85799356120209b351a148ac2db888d5ffd9; 1e5733883421495908f3b90d9d807663038b4136 before 85db7391310b1304d2dc8ae3b0b12105a9567147; +1 more · source: vendor
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-63886
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-63886
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4a3a19c98a8207ad08bec554703d90f2c34a8cc6
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/82454e6f21e56ea9a0a9de7d0ff7e1dfb83e34d6
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/85db7391310b1304d2dc8ae3b0b12105a9567147
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bf154c657828ed05399bca5d98cf1611bb048b12
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c04e85799356120209b351a148ac2db888d5ffd9
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/edd06675a02376ea8347dba7c29ad982ba5b36ee
More from Kernel
9.8
CVE-2025-39682
tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list
8.8
CVE-2026-53266
netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable
8.8
CVE-2013-6282
Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation Vulnerability
8.4
CVE-2022-0185
Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability
8.4
CVE-2013-2094
Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
