CVE-2026-74678
net: usb: ax88179_178a: fix skb leak in ax88179_tx_fixup()
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: usb: ax88179_178a: fix skb leak in ax88179_tx_fixup() When the interface has NETIF_F_SG enabled and skb_linearize() fails in ax88179_tx_fixup(), the function returns NULL without freeing the skb. usbnet_start_xmit() treats a NULL return from tx_fixup() as a drop (info->flags does not set FLAG_MULTI_PACKET for this driver), jumping to the "drop" label where it does `if (skb) dev_kfree_skb_any(skb)`. Because tx_fixup() returned NULL, the local skb variable in usbnet_start_xmit() is NULL, so the original skb is never freed — a memory leak on every TX frame whose linearization fails (i.e. under memory pressure). Free the skb before returning, matching the error handling already used for the pskb_expand_head() failure path in the same function.
INFO
Published Date :
Aug. 22, 2026, 4:16 p.m.
Last Modified :
Aug. 22, 2026, 4:16 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-74678
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
No affected product recoded yet
Solution
- Update the Linux kernel to the latest version.
- Apply the fix for skb leak in ax88179_tx_fixup().
- Ensure skb is freed before returning from tx_fixup().
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-74678.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-74678 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-74678
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-74678 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-74678 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
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New CVE Received by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Aug. 22, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Affected [{'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '16b1c4e01c89ba07367461e0bc4cb84993c2d027', 'lessThan': '83a765cbd7b4d11b0b9fa1bb9d941ae911a2159b', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '16b1c4e01c89ba07367461e0bc4cb84993c2d027', 'lessThan': '1c63303659a2264bd55d9813df74cb4caeed5922', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '16b1c4e01c89ba07367461e0bc4cb84993c2d027', 'lessThan': '2be5091fa693b9119ad25a8bb8c149d236a23ade', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '16b1c4e01c89ba07367461e0bc4cb84993c2d027', 'lessThan': '58733b1dd46bb231d9d279c132a20ee46da1b664', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '16b1c4e01c89ba07367461e0bc4cb84993c2d027', 'lessThan': '4039cd807a5a46dc5f7618fffae926b8ad8455eb', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '16b1c4e01c89ba07367461e0bc4cb84993c2d027', 'lessThan': '1f428e30947395d9b9aacee03e25a4e6cfcad7a4', 'versionType': 'git'}], 'programFiles': ['drivers/net/usb/ax88179_178a.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}, {'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '5.17'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '0', 'lessThan': '5.17', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.1.183', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.1.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.6.152', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.6.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.12.104', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.12.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.18.45', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.18.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.1.9', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '7.1.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.2', 'versionType': 'original_commit_for_fix', 'lessThanOrEqual': '*'}], 'programFiles': ['drivers/net/usb/ax88179_178a.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}] Added Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: usb: ax88179_178a: fix skb leak in ax88179_tx_fixup() When the interface has NETIF_F_SG enabled and skb_linearize() fails in ax88179_tx_fixup(), the function returns NULL without freeing the skb. usbnet_start_xmit() treats a NULL return from tx_fixup() as a drop (info->flags does not set FLAG_MULTI_PACKET for this driver), jumping to the "drop" label where it does `if (skb) dev_kfree_skb_any(skb)`. Because tx_fixup() returned NULL, the local skb variable in usbnet_start_xmit() is NULL, so the original skb is never freed — a memory leak on every TX frame whose linearization fails (i.e. under memory pressure). Free the skb before returning, matching the error handling already used for the pskb_expand_head() failure path in the same function. Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1c63303659a2264bd55d9813df74cb4caeed5922 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1f428e30947395d9b9aacee03e25a4e6cfcad7a4 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2be5091fa693b9119ad25a8bb8c149d236a23ade Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4039cd807a5a46dc5f7618fffae926b8ad8455eb Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/58733b1dd46bb231d9d279c132a20ee46da1b664 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/83a765cbd7b4d11b0b9fa1bb9d941ae911a2159b