Description
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().
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 6.1.85 – < 6.1.161, 6.6.26 – < 6.6.121, 5.15.154 – < 5.16, 6.8.5 – < 6.9, 6.9 | 6.1.161 |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | linux | 6.18.8-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | linux | 6.12.69-1 | DSA-6126-1 |
| Debian 12 | linux | 6.1.162-1 | DSA-6127-1 |
| Debian 11 | linux-6.1 | 6.1.162-1~deb11u1 | DLA-4476-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Nvidia-BlueField 24.04 LTS | linux-bluefield | 6.8.0-1022.26 | — |
| Ubuntu Nvidia-BlueField 22.04 LTS | linux-bluefield | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 25.10 | linux +8 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux | 6.8.0-117.117 | USN-8278-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-aws | 6.8.0-1055.58 | USN-8278-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-azure | 6.8.0-1056.62 | USN-8278-2 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-azure-6.17 | 6.17.0-1021.21~24.04.1 | USN-8604-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-azure-fde | 6.8.0-1058.65 | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-azure-fde-6.17 | 6.17.0-1018.18~24.04.1 | USN-8605-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-azure-nvidia | 6.8.0-1039.42 | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-gcp | 6.8.0-1058.61 | USN-8278-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-gcp-6.17 | 6.17.0-1021.24~24.04.1 | USN-8570-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-gke | 6.8.0-1054.60 | USN-8278-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-gkeop | 6.8.0-1041.44 | USN-8278-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-hwe-6.17 | 6.17.0-41.41~24.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-ibm | 6.8.0-1055.56 | USN-8278-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-lowlatency | 6.8.0-117.117.1 | USN-8278-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-nvidia | 6.8.0-1054.57 | USN-8289-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-nvidia-6.17 | 6.17.0-1031.31 | USN-8669-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-nvidia-lowlatency | 6.8.0-1054.57.1 | USN-8289-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-nvidia-tegra | 6.8.0-1024.24 | USN-8296-2 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-oem-6.17 | 6.17.0-1030.30 | USN-8594-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-oracle | 6.8.0-1054.55 | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-oracle-6.17 | 6.17.0-1019.19~24.04.3 | USN-8570-2 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-raspi | 6.8.0-1056.60 | USN-8278-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-riscv +20 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-xilinx | 6.8.0-1032.33 | USN-8499-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux +49 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-aws-6.8 | 6.8.0-1057.60~22.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-azure-6.8 | 6.8.0-1059.65~22.04.1 | USN-8440-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-azure-fde-6.8 | 6.8.0-1058.65~22.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-gcp-6.8 | 6.8.0-1060.63~22.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-hwe-6.8 | 6.8.0-124.124~22.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-ibm-6.8 | 6.8.0-1055.56~22.04.1 | USN-8278-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8 | 6.8.0-117.117.1~22.04.1 | USN-8278-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-nvidia-6.8 | 6.8.0-1054.57~22.04.1 | USN-8289-2 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-oracle-6.8 | 6.8.0-1054.55~22.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-riscv-6.8 | 6.8.0-117.117~22.04.1 | — |
Show 8 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-gke +28 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | linux-gcp +14 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | linux-hwe-edge | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS | linux-raspi-realtime | 6.8.0-2045.46 | USN-8278-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS | linux-realtime | 6.8.1-1051.52 | USN-8278-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS | linux-realtime-6.14 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS | linux-realtime-6.17 | 6.17.0-1018.20~24.04.1 | USN-8570-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS | linux-realtime +1 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS | linux-realtime-6.8 | 6.8.1-1051.52~22.04.1 | USN-8278-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS | linux-aws-fips | 6.8.0-1055.58+fips1 | USN-8278-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS | linux-azure-fips | 6.8.0-1059.65+fips1 | USN-8393-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS | linux-fips | 6.8.0-116.116+fips1 | USN-8296-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS | linux-gcp-fips | 6.8.0-1058.61+fips1 | USN-8278-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 22.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | linux-aws-5.15 +10 | No fix yet | — |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 9 | rv +75 | 5.14.0-687.25.1.el9_8 | RHSA-2026:38491 |
AlmaLinux
Errata ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| AlmaLinux 9 | rv +73 | 5.14.0-687.25.1.el9_8 | ALSA-2026:38491 |
Rocky Linux
Errata ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Linux 9 | kernel | 5.14.0-687.25.1.el9_8 | RLSA-2026:38491 |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 15 SP7 | kernel-64kb +7 | 6.4.0-150700.53.34.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:1081-1 |
| SLES 15 SP7 | kernel-default-base | 6.4.0-150700.53.34.1.150700.17.23.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:1081-1 |
Show 7 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES for SAP 16.0 | kernel-64kb +8 | 6.12.0-160000.27.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:20931-1 |
| SLES for SAP 16.0 | kernel-default-base | 6.12.0-160000.27.1.160000.2.8 | SUSE-SU-2026:20931-1 |
| SLES 16.0 | kernel-64kb +8 | 6.12.0-160000.27.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:20931-1 |
| SLES 16.0 | kernel-default-base | 6.12.0-160000.27.1.160000.2.8 | SUSE-SU-2026:20931-1 |
| SLE Micro 6.2 | kernel-default-base | 6.12.0-160000.27.1.160000.2.8 | SUSE-SU-2026:20838-1 |
| SLE Micro 6.2 | kernel-rt +5 | 6.12.0-160000.27.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:20873-1, SUSE-SU-2026:20838-1 |
| SLE Micro 6.1 | kernel-default-base | 6.4.0-40.1.21.17 | SUSE-SU-2026:20667-1 |
| SLE Micro 6.1 | kernel-rt +4 | 6.4.0-40.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:20876-1, SUSE-SU-2026:20667-1 |
| SLE Micro 6.0 | kernel-default-base | 6.4.0-40.1.21.17 | SUSE-SU-2026:20720-1 |
| SLE Micro 6.0 | kernel-rt +4 | 6.4.0-40.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:20845-1, SUSE-SU-2026:20720-1 |
| SLE Live Patching 15 SP7 | kernel-default | 6.4.0-150700.53.34.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:1081-1 |
| SLE Live Patching 15 SP7 | kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7-RT_Update_10 | 1-150700.1.3.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:0962-1 |
| SLE Live Patching 15 SP7 | kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7_Update_10 | 1-150700.15.3.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:1081-1 |
| SUSE Real Time Module 15 SP7 | kernel-rt +2 | 6.4.0-150700.7.34.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:0962-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Leap 16.0 | kernel-default-base | 6.12.0-160000.27.1.160000.2.8 | openSUSE-SU-2026:20416-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 16.0 | kernel-rt +11 | 6.12.0-160000.27.1 | openSUSE-SU-2026:20416-1 |
Amazon Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux 2023 | kernel-livepatch-6.12.66-88.122 +1 | 1:1.0-0.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-1494, ALAS2023-2026-1488 |
| Amazon Linux 2023 | perf +14 | 1:6.1.161-183.298.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-1494 |
| Amazon Linux 2023 | perf6.12 +14 | 1:6.12.66-88.122.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-1488 |
Azure Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Linux 2 (CBL-Mariner) | kernel | No fix yet | — |
Oracle Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle Linux 9 | kernel-uek +34 | 6.12.0-109.67.6.el10uek | ELSA-2026-50144 |
| Oracle Linux 9 | rv +28 | 5.14.0-687.25.1.el9_8 | ELSA-2026-38491 |
Advisories 42
- WID-SEC-2026-0215 Linux Kernel: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Nov 12, 2026
- SSA-457936 SSA-457936: Vulnerabilities in the additional GNU/Linux subsystem of the SIMATIC S7-1500 CPU 1518(F)-4 PN/DP MFP V3.1.7 Siemens ProductCERT · Nov 10, 2026
- USN-8604-1 linux-azure-6.17 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 7, 2026
- USN-8440-1 linux-azure-6.8 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 7, 2026
- USN-8499-1 linux-xilinx vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 7, 2026
- USN-8393-1 linux-azure-fips vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 7, 2026
- USN-8669-1 linux-nvidia-6.17 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 6, 2026
- USN-8570-1 linux-gcp-6.17, linux-realtime-6.17 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 6, 2026
- USN-8570-2 linux-oracle-6.17 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 6, 2026
- USN-8594-1 linux-oem-6.17 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 6, 2026
- USN-8278-1 linux, linux-aws, linux-aws-fips, linux-gcp, linux-gcp-fips, linux-gke, linux-gkeop, linux-ibm, linux-ibm-6.8, linux-lowlatency, linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8, linux-raspi, linux-raspi-realtime, linux-realtime, linux-realtime-6.8 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 5, 2026
- USN-8289-1 linux-nvidia, linux-nvidia-lowlatency vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 5, 2026
- USN-8289-2 linux-nvidia-6.8 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 5, 2026
- USN-8278-2 linux-azure vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 5, 2026
- USN-8296-1 linux-fips vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 4, 2026
- USN-8296-2 linux-nvidia-tegra vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 4, 2026
- ALSA-2026:38491 Important: kernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update AlmaLinux Security Advisories · Oct 29, 2026
- ICSA-26-295-11 Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 CPU 1518(F)-4 PN/DP MFP CISA ICS & IT advisories · Oct 22, 2026
- WID-SEC-2026-3623 IBM DataPower Gateway: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Oct 18, 2026
- USN-8605-1 linux-azure-fde-6.17 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 17, 2026
- NCSC-2026-0431 Kwetsbaarheden verholpen in IBM DataPower Gateway en onderliggende componenten NCSC-NL (Netherlands) · Oct 16, 2026
- RHSA-2026:38491 Red Hat Security Advisory: kernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Oct 14, 2026
- SSA-019113 SSA-019113: Vulnerabilities in the additional GNU/Linux subsystem of the SIMATIC S7-1500 CPU 1518(F)-4 PN/DP MFP V3.1.6 Siemens ProductCERT · Oct 13, 2026
- ICSA-26-209-04 Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 CPU 1518(F)-4 PN/DP MFP CISA ICS & IT advisories · Jul 28, 2026
- ELSA-2026-38491 Important: kernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update (Oracle Linux 9) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Jul 15, 2026
- RLSA-2026:38491 Important: kernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update Rocky Linux Security Advisories · Jul 14, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:20873-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Jul 9, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:20931-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Apr 2, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:20876-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 31, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2026:20416-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 29, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:20845-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 28, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:20838-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 28, 2026
- ALAS2023-2026-1494 Important: kernel security update (Amazon Linux 2023) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · Mar 27, 2026
- ALAS2023-2026-1488 Important: kernel6.12 security update (Amazon Linux 2023) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · Mar 27, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:1081-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 27, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:0962-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 24, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:20720-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 23, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:20667-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 23, 2026
- ELSA-2026-50144 Important: Unbreakable Enterprise kernel security update (Oracle Linux 9) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Mar 10, 2026
- DSA-6127-1 linux - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- DSA-6126-1 linux - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- DLA-4476-1 linux-6.1 - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Feb 10, 2026
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0b27828ebd1ed3107d7929c3737adbe862e99e74
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/88bea149db2057112af3aaf63534b24fab5858ab
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3264881431e308b9c72cb8a0159d57a56d67dd79
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c114a32a2e70b82d447f409f7ffcfa3058f9d5bd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/238e03d0466239410b72294b79494e43d4fabe77