The Linux kernel, versions 3.9+, IP implementation is vulnerable to denial of service conditions with low rates of specially modified packets

The Linux kernel has a flaw in how it handles fragmented IP packets, allowing an attacker to crash or hang a system by sending specially crafted fragments at a slow rate. This is dangerous because it requires minimal network traffic to cause disruption.

CVE-2018-5391 exploits IP fragment reassembly logic in Linux kernel 3.9+, where an attacker can trigger denial of service by sending low-rate malformed IP fragments that consume excessive kernel resources. The vulnerability exists in the fragment reassembly queue; no authentication is required, and the attack has low bandwidth requirements while causing system unavailability or crash.