CVE-2010-3861: The ethtool_get_rxnfc function in net/core/ethtool.c in the Linux kernel before 2.6.36 does not initialize...

Security readout for executives and security teams

CVE-2010-3861 is a Linux kernel information leak. A local user could request certain ethtool receive-classification data and receive uninitialized heap memory. This could expose sensitive kernel memory contents, but the provided sources do not show remote access or active exploitation. Exposure is most likely on older Linux systems running kernels before 2.6.36 or vendor kernels without the relevant backport. Internet exposure is not indicated; a local user context is required. Treat this as a patch hygiene issue for legacy Linux assets, especially shared systems. It is not supported by the provided evidence as an emergency internet-facing threat. Mitigation focus: Update affected Linux kernels through vendor-supported security packages.; Prioritize systems allowing untrusted local shell or multi-user access.; Check vendor advisories from Red Hat, Ubuntu, and SUSE for backported fixes..

Prepared

Jun 28, 2026, 01:17 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.