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CVE-2026-74612

veth: fix skb length accounting after XDP frag adjustment

10.0 EPSS 0.5% AV:N

Published 2026-08-22 (2 months ago) by the Linux kernel CNA. Subsystem drivers/net. Debian urgency: not yet assigned.

What to do, per Debian release

Debian's own status for CVE-2026-74612 in every release this site tracks, and what each one means in practice. Every status below is the one the Debian Security Team publishes for this CVE. source

ReleaseStatus VersionWhat this means
Debian 12bookwormfixedDLA-4777-1 · 2026-09-08 · text6.1.187-1Update the kernel and reboot. DLA-4777-1 shipped the fix on 2026-09-08, in 6.1.187-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts.
Debian 13trixiefixedDSA-6466-1 · 2026-08-25 · text6.12.105-1Update the kernel and reboot. DSA-6466-1 shipped the fix on 2026-08-25, in 6.12.105-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts.
Debian 14forkyfixed7.1.9-1Update the kernel and reboot. Fixed in 7.1.9-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts.
Debian unstablesidfixed7.1.9-1Update the kernel and reboot. Fixed in 7.1.9-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts.
Debian 12bookworm · linux-6.12fixedDLA-4788-1 · 2026-09-19 · text6.12.107-1~deb12u1Update the kernel and reboot. DLA-4788-1 shipped the fix on 2026-09-19, in 6.12.107-1~deb12u1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts.

The vulnerability

What the bug is

veth exposes non-linear skb fragments through an xdp_buff. If an XDP program adjusts the fragment area, veth_xdp_rcv_skb() copies xdp_frags_size back to skb->data_len but leaves skb->len containing the old fragment contribution. After a fragment shrink, this makes skb_headlen() larger than the actual linear area. In the reproduced UDP receive path, __skb_datagram_iter() copied 1024 bytes past the actual linear tail to userspace, starting at struct skb_shared_info. The copied bytes included the affected skb's nr_frags, xdp_frags_size, and a kernel pointer from skb_shinfo(skb)->frags[0]. Real packet data was displaced by the same amount and truncated at the end. Subtract the old data_len before replacing it and add the new data_len afterwards, keeping skb->len and skb->data_len synchronized. Additionally, bpf_xdp_pull_data() can advance data_end while leaving frags present. The skb is then still non-linear, so the old __skb_put(skb, off) triggers SKB_LINEAR_ASSERT(). Use skb_set_tail_pointer() and update skb->len explicitly instead, following bpf_prog_run_generic_xdp(). Unlike __skb_put(), skb_set_tail_pointer() does not require a linear skb. A 60000-byte UDP datagram on a veth pair with MTU 64000 was shortened by 1024 bytes from its fragment area. Before the fix, all 10 runs produced corrupted payloads. After the fix, all 10 runs matched the expected payload exactly. A forced-tailroom reproducer also exercises bpf_xdp_pull_data() with frags still present; the old code triggers SKB_LINEAR_ASSERT(), while this fix passes 10/10 runs.

Where it lives

The fix touches these files. If the subsystem is one you do not use, the practical exposure is lower, though the package is still the vulnerable one.

drivers/net/veth.c

What this is
NETWORKING DRIVERSMAINTAINERS section matched on drivers/net/ · netdev@vger.kernel.org · Maintained
Kernel module
veth

Check it on the machine

grep -w CONFIG_VETH /boot/config-$(uname -r)

Reads the booted kernel's own configuration, on the machine and nowhere else. =y is built in, =m is a module, and an is not set line means the code is not there.

lsmod | grep -w veth

Prints a line if that module is loaded right now, and nothing if it is not. One that is not loaded can still be loaded later by anything that needs it.

Show whether Debian builds this, per release

Debian builds this as a loadable module. Every release below compiles it as a module on every flavour, so whether the code is in the running kernel depends on whether that module is loaded.

  • bookworm, trixie, forky, sid, bookworm · linux-6.12m
m
a loadable module on every flavour - check lsmod, can be blacklisted
Build switch
CONFIG_VETH

From the configuration Debian publishes for every kernel flavour it builds. It covers only the architectures Debian ships a linux-config package for, and nothing about a kernel you built yourself. Debian's own status above stays authoritative about the source package.MAINTAINERS kbuild Makefiles Debian linux-config packages

Signals

Published
2026-08-22 (2 months ago)source
CVSS
10.0 critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:Hsource recompute it
Attack vector
network (AV:N)source
EPSS
0.49%, higher than 40.8% of all CVEssource
CISA KEV
not listedthe KEV catalogue
Debian urgency
not yet assignedsource
Subsystem
drivers/net

Upstream fixes

The versions the CNA records as introducing and fixing this, and the commit for each. source

IntroducedFixed inCommit
5.186.1.1840c3024afabb8
5.186.6.1522f2a7f3f8b9f
5.186.12.10441b96667d42b
5.186.18.45cdf745b7a777
5.187.1.93205b0652a37
5.187.2cb6379feaaff

Debian advisories

AdvisoryDateShipped toDebian
DLA-4788-12026-09-19bookworm 6.12.107-1~deb12u1tracker
DLA-4777-12026-09-08bookworm 6.1.187-1tracker
DSA-6466-12026-08-25trixie 6.12.105-1tracker

Why the CNA scored it this way

Quoted from the kernel CNA's own scoring file, word for word. A highlighted metric carries the most severe value CVSS v3.1 defines for it, which is what pushes the score up. source

AV:NAttack vector, network
Remote packets routed through container/host veth pairs reach veth_xdp_rcv_skb() after veth_xmit on the peer; cloud and edge nodes routinely forward Internet traffic across veth links with XDP attached, matching the reproduced UDP receive path.
AC:LAttack complexity, low
The fix commit shows 10/10 reliable reproduction with a 60000-byte UDP datagram and XDP bpf_xdp_adjust_tail()/bpf_xdp_pull_data() fragment shrink; the attacker controls packet size, timing, and both veth ends without races or uncontrollable kernel state.
PR:NPrivileges required, none
Exploitation only requires an XDP program using bpf_xdp_adjust_tail or bpf_xdp_pull_data to already be attached on a reachable veth peer; the remote packet sender needs no local account, capabilities, or authentication to trigger the bad skb length accounting.
UI:NUser interaction, none
No victim interaction is needed beyond normal always-on packet reception and socket delivery; corrupted payloads and leaked kernel metadata are produced automatically when a userspace process reads the affected datagram.
S:CScope, changed
veth links intentionally cross container/host network namespaces on multi-tenant servers, and skb_shared_info metadata plus kernel pointers leaked into a tenant userspace recv buffer exceed that tenant's authorized security boundary.
C:HConfidentiality impact, high
Desynchronized skb->len makes skb_headlen() exceed the real linear tail, so __skb_datagram_iter() copies up to 1024 bytes past the skb into userspace, exposing nr_frags, xdp_frags_size, and a kernel pointer from skb_shinfo(skb)->frags[0].
I:HIntegrity impact, high
The same length mismatch inflates the linear region, displacing and truncating real datagram bytes in the delivered UDP buffer and corrupting application-visible data beyond intended packet bounds while compounding misuse of leaked kernel metadata.
A:HAvailability impact, high
bpf_xdp_pull_data() can leave frags present while the old __skb_put() path hits SKB_LINEAR_ASSERT()/BUG_ON on nonlinear skbs; the commit reports deterministic kernel asserts and crashes in addition to datagram corruption.