CVE-2026-80988
NTB: ntb_transport: Fail TX enqueue when the QP link is down
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: NTB: ntb_transport: Fail TX enqueue when the QP link is down Commit f195a1a6fe41 ("ntb: Drop packets when qp link is down") meant to make ntb_transport_tx_enqueue() drop packets submitted while the QP link is down, but it only returns 0 without consuming the packet. Zero means success by this function's contract, so ntb_netdev reports NETDEV_TX_OK and forgets the skb: nothing queued it, nothing frees it, and it leaks, one skb for every transmit racing a link-down. Return -ENOLINK instead, restoring the contract that a non-zero return leaves the buffer owned by the caller. With the preceding patch, ntb_netdev frees the skb on non-retryable enqueue failures and returns NETDEV_TX_OK, so a packet racing with link-down is dropped without leaking or entering a busy retry loop.
INFO
Published Date :
Sept. 11, 2026, 8:19 p.m.
Last Modified :
Sept. 14, 2026, 1:18 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Solution
- Apply the ntb: Drop packets when qp link is down commit.
- Apply the NTB: ntb_transport: Fail TX enqueue when link is down commit.
- Update the Linux kernel to the latest stable version.
- Ensure proper error handling for packet transmissions.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
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information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-80988.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-80988 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-2026-80988
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).
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The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-80988 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-80988 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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CVE Modified by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Sep. 14, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Affected Affected value modified. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/80xxx/CVE-2026-80988.json">CVE-2026-80988</a> Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/45cc11035165918dd1f81796ea98f81ece20d361 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/76c9ccc0c6bebfc74c0e727eda67687f5103ab06 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/96d792c65b9d5f7f9dd86a1004315db59e450c07 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e6cc541fab01099fd8efadfa4f13afdf118bf536 -
New CVE Received by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Sep. 11, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: NTB: ntb_transport: Fail TX enqueue when the QP link is down Commit f195a1a6fe41 ("ntb: Drop packets when qp link is down") meant to make ntb_transport_tx_enqueue() drop packets submitted while the QP link is down, but it only returns 0 without consuming the packet. Zero means success by this function's contract, so ntb_netdev reports NETDEV_TX_OK and forgets the skb: nothing queued it, nothing frees it, and it leaks, one skb for every transmit racing a link-down. Return -ENOLINK instead, restoring the contract that a non-zero return leaves the buffer owned by the caller. With the preceding patch, ntb_netdev frees the skb on non-retryable enqueue failures and returns NETDEV_TX_OK, so a packet racing with link-down is dropped without leaking or entering a busy retry loop. Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/80xxx/CVE-2026-80988.json">CVE-2026-80988</a> Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5eca0d899a3be661a7e2caaaa7467a6fa15d756c Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/873ce713fef5dde0939220f04f3484ec86a16fba Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/89177732fe1653bbfef10cf5d99bf20cf57762c2 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/894e136b432da75c0352c80299807a5c4b04f167