CVE-2026-68136: net: gro: fix double aggregation of flush-marked skbs
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net: gro: fix double aggregation of flush-marked skbs
Commit 0ab03f353d36 ("net-gro: Fix GRO flush when receiving a GSO packet.") added a flush check to skbgroreceive(), but skbgroreceivelist() lacks the same validation.
As a result, packets marked with NAPIGROCB(skb)->flush may still be re-aggregated.
This allows already-GRO'd packets with existing fraglist to be re-aggregated into a new GRO session, corrupting the fraglist chain structure. When skbsegment() attempts to unpack these malformed packets, it encounters invalid state and triggers a kernel panic.
Scenario (Tethering/Device forwarding): 1. Driver: Generated aggregated packet P1 via LRO with fraglist 2. Dev A: Receives aggregated fraglist packet and flush flag set 3. Dev A: Re-enters GRO, skbgroreceivelist() is called 4. Missing flush check allows re-aggregation despite flush flag 5. Fraglist chain becomes corrupted (loops or dangling refs) 6. Dev B: TX path calls skbsegment(), crashes on corrupted fraglist
Root cause in skbsegment(): The check at line ~4891: if (hsize <= 0 && i >= nfrags && skbheadlen(listskb) && (skbheadlen(listskb) == len || sg)) {
When fraglist is corrupted by double aggregation, when listskb is a NULL pointer from skb->next, skbheadlen(listskb) dereference NULL/corrupted pointers occurs.
Call Trace: skbheadlen(NULL skb) skbsegment tcpgsosegment tcp4gsosegment inetgsosegment skbmacgsosegment skbgsosegment skbgsosegment validatexmitskb validatexmitskblist schdirectxmit qdiscrestart qdiscrun qdiscrun nettxaction
Fix: Add NAPIGROCB(skb)->flush validation to the early-return check in skbgroreceivelist(), matching the defensive programming pattern of skbgroreceive().
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2026-68136?
CVE-2026-68136 has a severity rating of 62, indicating a moderate risk level.
How do I fix CVE-2026-68136?
To fix CVE-2026-68136, users should update their Linux kernel to the latest version that includes the security patch.
What software is affected by CVE-2026-68136?
CVE-2026-68136 affects the Linux kernel.
What is the nature of CVE-2026-68136?
CVE-2026-68136 is a vulnerability related to the double aggregation of flush-marked skbs in the networking subsystem of the Linux kernel.
When was CVE-2026-68136 published?
CVE-2026-68136 was published on August 10, 2026.