CVE-2026-63872: esp: fix page frag reference leak on skb_to_sgvec failure

Published Jul 19, 2026
·
Updated

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

esp: fix page frag reference leak on skbtosgvec failure

In espoutputtail(), when esp->inplace is false, the old skb page frags are replaced with a new page from the xfrm pagefrag cache. The source scatterlist (sg) is built from the old frags before the replacement, and espssgunref() is responsible for releasing the old page references after the crypto operation completes.

However, if the second skbtosgvec() call (which builds the destination scatterlist from the new page) fails, the code jumps to errorfree which only calls kfree(tmp). The old page frag references captured in the source scatterlist are never released:

1. sg[] is built from old frags via skbtosgvec() (no extra getpage) 2. nrfrags is set to 1 and frag[0] is replaced with the new page 3. Second skbtosgvec() fails -> goto errorfree 4. kfree(tmp) frees the sg[] memory but old frags are not unref'd 5. kfreeskb() only releases frag[0] (the new page), not the old ones

Fix this by adding a bool parameter to espssgunref() that, when true, unconditionally unrefs the source scatterlist frags without checking req->src and req->dst, since those fields are not yet initialized by aeadrequestsetcrypt() at the point of the error. Existing callers pass false to preserve the original behavior.

The same issue exists in both esp4 and esp6 as the code is identical.

Affected Software

1 affected component
The Linux Kernel Organization Linux kernel

Event History

Jul 19, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·02:18 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·02:18 PM
DescriptionSeverity
Data Sourced
via NVD·03:16 PM
DescriptionSeverity
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-63872?

CVE-2026-63872 has a high severity rating of 7.5.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-63872?

To resolve CVE-2026-63872, you should update your Linux kernel to the latest patched version provided by the Linux Kernel Organization.

3

What impact does CVE-2026-63872 have on my system?

CVE-2026-63872 could result in a denial of service due to a page fragment reference leak, potentially affecting system stability.

4

Which software is affected by CVE-2026-63872?

CVE-2026-63872 affects the Linux kernel developed by the Linux Kernel Organization.

5

When was CVE-2026-63872 published?

CVE-2026-63872 was published on July 19, 2026.

Contact

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