The article discusses a proposal for a Linux kernel "killswitch" mechanism to disable vulnerable functions at runtime, prompted by the disclosure of CVE-2026-31431, a nine-year-old local privilege escalation flaw. The CVE has a CVSS 3.1 score of 7.8 (HIGH) and affects Linux kernel versions from 4.14 through 6.7 across multiple major release branches, as detailed in the provided NVD data. Fixed versions are specific to each branch, for example, versions 5.10.254, 5.15.204, 6.1.170, 6.6.137, 6.12.85, 6.18.22, and 6.19.12.
Linux kernel developers are reviewing a proposal for an emergency risk mitigation mechanism (“Killswitch”) that would allow administrators to disable vulnerable kernel functions at runtime. The proposal, submitted by Linux kernel developer/maintainer Sasha Levin, arrives in the wake of the public disclosure of two privilege escalation vulnerabilities affecting the Linux kernel. What prompted the proposal The impetus for the proposal is explicit: the patch’s selftest references Copy Fail (CVE-2026-31431), a nine-year-old local privilege escalation flaw … More → The post Linux developers weigh emergency “killswitch” for vulnerable kernel functions appeared first on Help Net Security .