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The Linux kernel security process is a maintainer-led path for assessing and fixing software vulnerabilities, followed by coordinated disclosure. Report a specific issue to the affected subsystem maintainers by email, copying the kernel security team where appropriate; do not treat the security list as a public disclosure channel. CVE assignment and cross-platform hardware vulnerabilities use separate processes.
First, determine whether the issue fits the kernel security process
A report should establish both a credible security consequence within the kernel’s threat model and an effect on actively maintained kernel versions. Not every kernel defect qualifies: an ordinary correctness bug without a demonstrated security impact belongs in normal issue-reporting channels. The project describes the scope in its Linux kernel threat model.
Check whether the issue is still present before reporting it. The security guidance notes that reports sometimes concern bugs already fixed, so identify the exact kernel version, commit, or affected version range rather than saying only “latest.” Where practical, verify against a recent development or supported stable version. Include relevant configuration details and enough reproduction information for maintainers to investigate. See the project’s security-bug reporting guidance.
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The project identifies the affected subsystem maintainers as the most effective first recipients. Reports are handled by email. Copy the Linux kernel security team where appropriate; the guidance specifically says to include it when the message has two or fewer recipients, so it can route the report or assist maintainers.
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Keep a potentially sensitive report off public mailing lists during initial coordination unless there is a sound reason to consider the issue already public or trivial to discover. The project’s security-bugs documentation states: “The security list is not a disclosure channel.”
What to include
- The exact affected version, commit, or version range, and what you checked to establish that the issue remains present.
- The security consequence: what an attacker can do, under what conditions, and why the impact falls within the kernel threat model.
- Reproduction steps, relevant configuration, and any logs or other technical details maintainers need to confirm the behavior.
- A proposed fix, if you have one, while making clear what has and has not been tested.
Use plain text and make the report understandable without requiring recipients to open attachments or access online-only material. Be ready to answer follow-up questions and run additional checks; active collaboration helps maintainers triage and address the issue.
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Fix preparation and disclosure timing
Maintainers and the security team work toward a robust fix. If an issue is already publicly known, the project says it is released immediately once fixed. For an issue reported privately, the preference is to release as soon as a robust fix is available, not to hold it under an open-ended embargo.
A reporter or affected party may request time for rollout logistics. Under the project guidance, a requested deferral can be up to seven calendar days from the start of release, with an exceptional extension to fourteen days if the issue’s criticality justifies it. These are policy limits for coordination, not routine waiting periods.
CVE assignment is separate from reporting a vulnerability
A CVE is an identifier, not the intake route for an unfixed kernel vulnerability. The kernel’s CVE documentation describes assignment as independent of the normal security-bug reporting process. The assignment team identifies potentially security-related changes through the stable release process; automatic assignment is tied to a fix being available and applied to a stable kernel tree. Announcements are made through the linux-cve-announce mailing list.
Report an unfixed issue through the security reporting route rather than waiting for a CVE number. An issue caused only by distribution-specific changes, or by an unsupported upstream version, may need to be handled by the relevant distribution.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Hardware vulnerabilities follow a different coordination path
A hardware flaw that affects multiple operating systems can require coordination among operating-system vendors, distributions, silicon vendors, hardware integrators, and parties preparing firmware or microcode mitigations. The kernel documents a distinct process for these cases in its guidance on embargoed hardware issues. It directs pure software bugs in kernel code back to the ordinary security-reporting process.
For a hardware issue, the involved parties coordinate a public release time; mitigations are published to relevant kernel trees when the embargo ends. The hardware team’s development process does not assign CVEs.
Quick Recap
How the three processes differ
| Process | Purpose | Initial route or participants | Public timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software kernel vulnerability | Triage and fix a security defect in kernel code that fits the threat model and affects maintained versions. | Affected subsystem maintainers and, as appropriate, the kernel security team. | Publicly known issues are released once fixed; private reports may receive a limited coordination deferral. |
| Embargoed hardware issue | Coordinate mitigations for a hardware vulnerability with broader platform impact. | The separate hardware security process, potentially involving vendors, distributions, and firmware or microcode parties. | Involved parties coordinate release for the end of the embargo. |
| CVE assignment | Provide a public vulnerability identifier; it is not a bug-intake process. | The kernel CVE assignment team, generally in connection with fixes in stable trees. | Assignments are announced through linux-cve-announce. |
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