CVE-2026-22979: net: fix memory leak in skb_segment_list for GRO packets

Published Jan 23, 2026
·
Updated

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net: fix memory leak in skbsegmentlist for GRO packets

When skbsegmentlist() is called during packet forwarding, it handles packets that were aggregated by the GRO engine.

Historically, the segmentation logic in skbsegmentlist 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 skbsegmentlist() 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 skbsegmentlist() was never updated.

As a result, the current code unconditionally adds each fragment's truesize to deltatruesize 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 skwmemalloc 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: kmemcacheallocnoprof+0x5c6/0x800 skprotalloc+0x5b/0x220 skalloc+0x35/0xa00 inet6create.part.0+0x303/0x10d0 sockcreate+0x248/0x640 syssocket+0x11b/0x1d0

Since skbsegmentlist() is exclusively used for SKBGSOFRAGLIST packets constructed by GRO, the truesize adjustment is removed.

The call to skbreleaseheadstate() 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 copyskbheader().

Affected Software

17 affected components
Linux Linux kernel
Linux Linux kernel>=5.15.154<5.16
Linux Linux kernel>=6.1.85<6.1.161
Linux Linux kernel>=6.6.26<6.6.121
Linux Linux kernel>=6.8.5<6.9
Linux Linux kernel>=6.9.1<6.12.66
Linux Linux kernel>=6.13<6.18.6
Linux Linux kernel=6.9
Linux Linux kernel=6.9-rc3
Linux Linux kernel=6.9-rc4
Linux Linux kernel=6.9-rc5
Linux Linux kernel=6.9-rc6
Linux Linux kernel=6.9-rc7
Linux Linux kernel=6.19-rc1
Linux Linux kernel=6.19-rc2
Linux Linux kernel=6.19-rc3
Linux Linux kernel=6.19-rc4

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade Linux kernel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Patch ed4cccef64c1
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade Linux kernel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Patch cf673ed0e057

Event History

Jan 23, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·03:24 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·03:24 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·04:03 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Data Sourced
via NVD·04:15 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-22979?

CVE-2026-22979 has a medium severity rating due to its potential to cause a memory leak in the Linux kernel while handling GRO packets.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-22979?

To fix CVE-2026-22979, update your Linux kernel to the latest patched version that addresses the memory leak in skb_segment_list.

3

What systems are affected by CVE-2026-22979?

CVE-2026-22979 affects all versions of the Linux kernel that utilize the skb_segment_list function for GRO packet processing.

4

What is the impact of CVE-2026-22979 if exploited?

If exploited, CVE-2026-22979 can lead to increased memory usage, which may result in performance degradation or system instability.

5

Is CVE-2026-22979 classified as a denial of service vulnerability?

CVE-2026-22979 is not directly classified as a denial of service vulnerability, but the memory leak could potentially lead to such conditions.

Contact

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