CVE-2026-43501: ipv6: rpl: reserve mac_len headroom when recompressed SRH grows

Published May 21, 2026
·
Updated

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

ipv6: rpl: reserve maclen headroom when recompressed SRH grows

ipv6rplsrhrcv() decompresses an RFC 6554 Source Routing Header, swaps the next segment into ipv6hdr->daddr, recompresses, then pulls the old header and pushes the new one plus the IPv6 header back. The recompressed header can be larger than the received one when the swap reduces the common-prefix length the segments share with daddr (CmprI=0, CmprE>0, seg[0][0] != daddr[0] gives the maximum +8 bytes).

pskbexpandhead() was gated on segmentsleft == 0, so on earlier segments the push consumed unchecked headroom. Once skbpush() leaves fewer than skb->maclen bytes in front of data, skbmacheaderrebuild()'s call to:

skbsetmacheader(skb, -skb->maclen);

will store (data - head) - maclen into the u16 macheader field, which wraps to ~65530, and the following memmove() writes maclen bytes ~64KiB past skb->head.

A single AFINET6/SOCKRAW/IPV6HDRINCL packet over lo with a two segment type-3 SRH (CmprI=0, CmprE=15) reaches headroom 8 after one pass; KASAN reports a 14-byte OOB write in ipv6rthdrrcv.

Fix this by expanding the head whenever the remaining room is less than the push size plus maclen, and request that much extra so the rebuilt MAC header fits afterwards.

Affected Software

10 affected componentsFixes available
Linux Linux kernel
Microsoft azl3 kernel 6.6.139.1-1<6.6.141.1-1
6.6.141.1-1
Linux Linux kernel>=5.7<5.10.258
Linux Linux kernel>=5.11<5.15.209
Linux Linux kernel>=5.16<6.1.175
Linux Linux kernel>=6.2<6.6.140
Linux Linux kernel>=6.7<6.12.86
Linux Linux kernel>=6.13<6.18.27
Linux Linux kernel>=6.19<7.0.4
Linux Linux kernel=7.1-rc1

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade to a fixed release to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 6.6.141.1-1

Event History

May 21, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·12:17 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·12:17 PM
DescriptionSeverity
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·01:01 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Data Sourced
via NVD·01:16 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
May 22, 2026
Data Sourced
via Microsoft·08:01 AM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via Microsoft·08:01 AM
Affected Software
Updated
via Microsoft·08:01 AM
DescriptionSeverity

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-43501?

The severity of CVE-2026-43501 is rated as 80, indicating a high risk level.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-43501?

To fix CVE-2026-43501, update your Linux kernel to a version that includes the patch addressing this vulnerability.

3

What systems are affected by CVE-2026-43501?

CVE-2026-43501 affects the Linux kernel, particularly configurations that utilize the IPv6 RPL protocol.

4

What impact does CVE-2026-43501 have on network security?

CVE-2026-43501 could potentially allow for header manipulation in IPv6 communications, impacting network security and integrity.

5

When was CVE-2026-43501 published?

CVE-2026-43501 was published on May 21, 2026.

Contact

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