CVE-2026-22979
- Source
- https://cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-22979
- Import Source
- https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2026-22979.json
- JSON Data
- https://api.osv.dev/v1/vulns/CVE-2026-22979
- Downstream
AZL (1)
BELL (1)
ECHO (1)
MGASA (2)
openSUSE (1)
RHSA (1)
RLSA (1)
ROOT (4)
SUSE (10)
- Related
- Published
- 2026-01-23T15:24:01Z
- Modified
- 2026-10-08T02:51:21Z
- Summary
- net: fix memory leak in skb_segment_list for GRO packets
- Details
-
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net: fix memory leak in skb_segment_list for GRO packets
When skb_segment_list() is called during packet forwarding, it handles packets that were aggregated by the GRO engine.
Historically, the segmentation logic in skb_segment_list assumes that individual segments are split from a parent SKB and may need to carry their own socket memory accounting. Accordingly, the code transfers truesize from the parent to the newly created segments.
Prior to commit ed4cccef64c1 ("gro: fix ownership transfer"), this truesize subtraction in skb_segment_list() was valid because fragments still carry a reference to the original socket.
However, commit ed4cccef64c1 ("gro: fix ownership transfer") changed this behavior by ensuring that fraglist entries are explicitly orphaned (skb->sk = NULL) to prevent illegal orphaning later in the stack. This change meant that the entire socket memory charge remained with the head SKB, but the corresponding accounting logic in skb_segment_list() was never updated.
As a result, the current code unconditionally adds each fragment's truesize to delta_truesize and subtracts it from the parent SKB. Since the fragments are no longer charged to the socket, this subtraction results in an effective under-count of memory when the head is freed. This causes sk_wmem_alloc to remain non-zero, preventing socket destruction and leading to a persistent memory leak.
The leak can be observed via KMEMLEAK when tearing down the networking environment:
unreferenced object 0xffff8881e6eb9100 (size 2048): comm "ping", pid 6720, jiffies 4295492526 backtrace: kmem_cache_alloc_noprof+0x5c6/0x800 sk_prot_alloc+0x5b/0x220 sk_alloc+0x35/0xa00 inet6_create.part.0+0x303/0x10d0 __sock_create+0x248/0x640 __sys_socket+0x11b/0x1d0
Since skb_segment_list() is exclusively used for SKB_GSO_FRAGLIST packets constructed by GRO, the truesize adjustment is removed.
The call to skb_release_head_state() must be preserved. As documented in commit cf673ed0e057 ("net: fix fraglist segmentation reference count leak"), it is still required to correctly drop references to SKB extensions that may be overwritten during __copy_skb_header().
- Database specific
{ "cna_assigner": "Linux", "osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/22xxx/CVE-2026-22979.json" }- References
-
- https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-019113.html
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0b27828ebd1ed3107d7929c3737adbe862e99e74
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/238e03d0466239410b72294b79494e43d4fabe77
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3264881431e308b9c72cb8a0159d57a56d67dd79
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/88bea149db2057112af3aaf63534b24fab5858ab
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c114a32a2e70b82d447f409f7ffcfa3058f9d5bd
- https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/22xxx/CVE-2026-22979.json
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-22979
- https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git
Affected packages
Git / git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git
Affected ranges
- Type
- GIT
- Repo
- https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git
- Events
-
Introduced2eeab8c47c3c0276e0746bc382f405c9a236a5adFixed0b27828ebd1ed3107d7929c3737adbe862e99e74
- Type
- GIT
- Repo
- https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git
- Events
-
Introducedfc126c1d51e9552eacd2d717b9ffe9262a8a4cd6Fixed88bea149db2057112af3aaf63534b24fab5858ab
- Type
- GIT
- Repo
- https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git
- Events
-
Introduceded4cccef64c1d0d5b91e69f7a8a6697c3a865486Fixed3264881431e308b9c72cb8a0159d57a56d67dd79Fixedc114a32a2e70b82d447f409f7ffcfa3058f9d5bdFixed238e03d0466239410b72294b79494e43d4fabe77
- Type
- GIT
- Repo
- https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git
- Events
-
Introduced6.1.85Fixed6.1.161
- Type
- GIT
- Repo
- https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git
- Events
-
Introduced6.6.26Fixed6.6.121
- Type
- GIT
- Repo
- https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git
- Events
-
Introduced5.15.154Fixed5.16
- Type
- GIT
- Repo
- https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git
- Events
-
Introduced6.8.5Fixed6.9
- Type
- GIT
- Repo
- https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git
- Events
-
Introducedd225b0ac96dc40d7e8ae2bc227eb2c56e130975f
- Type
- GIT
- Repo
- https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git
- Events
-
Introduced5b3b67f731296027cceb3efad881ae281213f86f
Affected versions
v5.*
v6.*
Linux / Kernel
Package
- Name
- Kernel