# CVE-2026-98838: vt: skip screen update for DEC alignment test on backgroup consoles CVE-2026-98838 is fixed in 12 products on 1 platform, first by DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98838, released October 19, 2026. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: Routine. - Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-98838 - Priority: Routine - CVSS: 4.1 (Moderate) - EPSS: 0.0018 - CISA KEV: not listed - Exploited (vendor report): no - Publicly disclosed: no - Published: Oct 18, 2026 - Vendor advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-98838 ## Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vt: skip screen update for DEC alignment test on backgroup consoles [BUG] Recently, we encountered a KASAN warning as follows: BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in fb_pad_aligned_buffer+0x11f/0x140 Read of size 1 at addr ff1100015fd9f6a4 by task tty_fbcon_oob/1239 CPU: 7 UID: 0 PID: 1239 Comm: tty_fbcon_oob Not tainted 7.3.0-rc1 #100 PREEMPT(full) Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.17.0-4.fc41 04/01/2014 Call Trace: ... kasan_report+0xf0/0x120 fb_pad_aligned_buffer+0x11f/0x140 ccw_putcs+0x86c/0xa80 fbcon_putcs+0x338/0x410 do_update_region+0x21d/0x450 do_con_write+0x1e0e/0x4880 con_write+0x13/0x80 n_tty_write+0x374/0x1010 file_tty_write.isra.0+0x404/0x7a0 ... reproduce: 1) open /dev/tty0, set a KDFONTOP ioctl with op.op = KD_FONT_OP_SET, op.width = 8 and op.height = 16 (visible VC1) 2) open /dev/tty1, set a KDFONTOP ioctl with op.op = KD_FONT_OP_SET, op.width = 28 and op.height = 24 (invisible VC2) 3) echo 3 > /sys/devices/virtual/graphics/fbcon/rotate_all 4) write EShash8(esc hash8) to tty1 [CAUSE] All VCs render to the framebuffer. setfont only modifies the target VC's font without resizing the framebuffer backing buffer (par->rotated.buf); the buffer is only resized for the visible VC (fbcon_do_set_font -> ... -> vc_do_resize -> update_screen). This relies on the con_should_update() check performed before every update_region(). However, the ESC # 8 path (do_con_trol -> do_update_region) omits the con_should_update() check. After changing the font size of an invisible VC, do_update_region() fills using the new font size against a buffer that was never resized, causing an out-of-bounds access. [FIX] Only push the update when the console is visible and not blanked, add the con_should_update() check in the do_con_trol() like every other call site of do_update_region() (update_region(), invert_screen(), ...). ## Where it's fixed | Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released | |---|---|---|---|---| | Linux | kernel-64kb sles 15.7 | 6.4.0-150700.53.90.1 | [SUSE-SU-2026:5091-1](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/suse-su-2026-5091-1.md) | Nov 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-azure sles 15.7 | 6.4.0-150700.53.90.1 | [SUSE-SU-2026:5091-1](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/suse-su-2026-5091-1.md) | Nov 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-default sles 15.7 | 6.4.0-150700.53.90.1 | [SUSE-SU-2026:5091-1](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/suse-su-2026-5091-1.md) | Nov 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-default-base sles 15.7 | 6.4.0-150700.53.90.1.150700.17.51.1 | [SUSE-SU-2026:5091-1](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/suse-su-2026-5091-1.md) | Nov 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-docs sles 15.7 | 6.4.0-150700.53.90.1 | [SUSE-SU-2026:5091-1](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/suse-su-2026-5091-1.md) | Nov 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7_Update_24 sles 15.7 | 1-150700.15.3.1 | [SUSE-SU-2026:5091-1](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/suse-su-2026-5091-1.md) | Nov 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-obs-build sles 15.7 | 6.4.0-150700.53.90.1 | [SUSE-SU-2026:5091-1](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/suse-su-2026-5091-1.md) | Nov 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-source sles 15.7 | 6.4.0-150700.53.90.1 | [SUSE-SU-2026:5091-1](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/suse-su-2026-5091-1.md) | Nov 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-syms sles 15.7 | 6.4.0-150700.53.90.1 | [SUSE-SU-2026:5091-1](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/suse-su-2026-5091-1.md) | Nov 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-zfcpdump sles 15.7 | 6.4.0-150700.53.90.1 | [SUSE-SU-2026:5091-1](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/suse-su-2026-5091-1.md) | Nov 7, 2026 | | Linux | linux Debian 13.5 (trixie) | 6.12.113-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98838](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2026-98838.md) | Oct 19, 2026 | | Linux | linux Debian 14 | 7.2.10-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98838](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2026-98838.md) | Oct 19, 2026 | | Linux | linux-6.12 Debian 12.15 (bookworm) | 6.12.113-1~deb12u1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98838](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2026-98838.md) | Oct 19, 2026 | --- Data as of 2026-11-09T13:31:49Z UTC. 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