0.0
NA
CVE-2026-98368
esp: downgrade zerocopy managed frags before mutating skb frags
Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: esp: downgrade zerocopy managed frags before mutating skb frags On the out-of-place output path (esp->inplace == false) ESP rewrites the skb frag array: esp_output_head() appends a trailer frag and esp_output_tail() replaces the frags with a destination page, both referenced with get_page(). When the skb carries zerocopy managed frags (SKBFL_MANAGED_FRAG_REFS) the payload frags are owned by the ubuf and must not be referenced or unreferenced individually, but ESP mutates the frag array without ever downgrading the skb. This breaks the managed-frag invariant two ways: - esp_ssg_unref() walks the source scatterlist and drops a page reference for every frag, including the ubuf-owned payload frags, pushing their refcount below the GUP pin bias while the pages are still pinned, i.e. a use-after-free of the zerocopy pages; - esp_output_tail() installs its destination page as frag 0 with get_page() but leaves SKBFL_MANAGED_FRAG_REFS set, so skb_release_data() takes the skip_unref branch and never drops that reference, leaking the x->xfrag page at packet rate. Fix this the way every other frag-mutating site does (__ip_append_data(), __ip6_append_data(), tcp_sendmsg_locked()) and call skb_zcopy_downgrade_managed() before ESP touches the frag array: it takes a real reference on each existing frag and clears SKBFL_MANAGED_FRAG_REFS, so the per-frag unref in esp_ssg_unref() and the frag release in skb_release_data() are both balanced and no mixed-ownership frag array is left behind.

INFO

Published Date :

Oct. 6, 2026, 9:18 a.m.

Last Modified :

Oct. 6, 2026, 9:18 a.m.

Remotely Exploit :

No

Source :

416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-98368 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.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 Linux linux_kernel
Solution
Downgrade zerocopy managed frags before mutating skb frags to fix memory corruption.
  • Call skb_zcopy_downgrade_managed() before touching the frag array.
  • Ensure per-frag unref is balanced.
  • Prevent page reference leaks in skb_release_data().
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-98368 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-2026-98368 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-2026-98368 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2026-98368 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.

  • New CVE Received by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

    Oct. 06, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: esp: downgrade zerocopy managed frags before mutating skb frags On the out-of-place output path (esp->inplace == false) ESP rewrites the skb frag array: esp_output_head() appends a trailer frag and esp_output_tail() replaces the frags with a destination page, both referenced with get_page(). When the skb carries zerocopy managed frags (SKBFL_MANAGED_FRAG_REFS) the payload frags are owned by the ubuf and must not be referenced or unreferenced individually, but ESP mutates the frag array without ever downgrading the skb. This breaks the managed-frag invariant two ways: - esp_ssg_unref() walks the source scatterlist and drops a page reference for every frag, including the ubuf-owned payload frags, pushing their refcount below the GUP pin bias while the pages are still pinned, i.e. a use-after-free of the zerocopy pages; - esp_output_tail() installs its destination page as frag 0 with get_page() but leaves SKBFL_MANAGED_FRAG_REFS set, so skb_release_data() takes the skip_unref branch and never drops that reference, leaking the x->xfrag page at packet rate. Fix this the way every other frag-mutating site does (__ip_append_data(), __ip6_append_data(), tcp_sendmsg_locked()) and call skb_zcopy_downgrade_managed() before ESP touches the frag array: it takes a real reference on each existing frag and clears SKBFL_MANAGED_FRAG_REFS, so the per-frag unref in esp_ssg_unref() and the frag release in skb_release_data() are both balanced and no mixed-ownership frag array is left behind.
    Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/98xxx/CVE-2026-98368.json">CVE-2026-98368</a>
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0d0845ee61c5df47cc68bc446501f48f71e8dcc6
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2359264f377cdbdef2d95868cc8fb572949e48d3
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6508304ac2c8cdafca2f4ab915df8c707893e134
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/69a768c12398cada8528080332c822623fa7064d
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6cab554f2c0f28773f712ed3a5479103f42ce844
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f89416eb3db151170a6f3c6dfc5239d26cdce4d2
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.