CVE-2026-72046: gve: fix header buffer corruption with header-split and HW-GRO

Published Aug 15, 2026
·
Updated

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

gve: fix header buffer corruption with header-split and HW-GRO

The DQO RX datapath programs a per-buffer-queue-descriptor headerbufaddr at post time and reads the split header back at completion time. Both the post and the read currently index the header buffer by queue position rather than by the buffer's identity:

- post (gverxpostbuffersdqo): headerbufaddr is computed from bufq->tail - read (gverxdqo): the header is read from descidx (the completion queue head index)

This relies on the buffer-queue index and the completion-queue index being equal for the start of every packet, i.e. on the device consuming posted buffers and returning completions in the exact same order. That assumption does not hold once HW-GRO is enabled with multiple flows: coalesced segments are accepted and completed in an order that may differ from the order buffers were posted, and segments from different flows may interleave.

That results in two problems:

1. Wrong header slot on read. Because the read offset is derived from the completion index (descidx) while the device wrote the header to the address programmed for the buffer's bufid, the driver can copy a header belonging to a different packet. This shows up as throughput drop (about 30% drop and large numbers of TCP retransmissions) with header-split and HW-GRO both enabled and many streams.

2. Header buffer reused while still owned by the device. The driver advances bufq->head by one per completion and re-posts buffers based on that. Arrival of N RX completions only guarantees that at least N RX buffer descriptors have been read by the device. It does not guarantee that the device has relinquished the ownership of all the buffers corresponding to those N descriptors. With out-of-order completions (e.g. the completion for a packet copied into buffer N arrives before the completion for a packet copied into buffer N-1), the driver can re-post and overwrite a header buffer that the device is still going to write into, corrupting the header of a packet whose completion has not yet been processed.

Fix both issues by indexing the header buffer by bufid on both the post and read paths. Reading from bufid's slot is therefore always correct regardless of completion ordering (fixes problem 1).

Indexing by bufid also ties each header slot to the lifetime of its buffer state. A buffer state is only returned to the free/recycle lists when its own completion (bufid) is processed, so its header slot can only be re-posted after the device is done with it. This makes header slot reuse safe under out-of-order completions (fixes problem 2).

Allocate (gverxallochdrbufs) and free (gverxfreehdrbufs) the header buffers based on numbufstates to match the bufid indexing.

Affected Software

1 affected component
Linux Kernel

Event History

Aug 15, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·05:52 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·05:52 AM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·06:21 AM
Description
Free Weekly Intel

Don't miss critical vulnerabilities

Join thousands of security professionals who receive our weekly digest of trending CVEs, zero-days, and exploited vulnerabilities.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-72046?

The severity of CVE-2026-72046 is rated at risk level 37.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-72046?

To fix CVE-2026-72046, update to the patched version of the Linux kernel that resolves this header buffer corruption issue.

3

What impact does CVE-2026-72046 have on the Linux kernel?

CVE-2026-72046 can cause header buffer corruption in the DQO RX datapath, potentially leading to data integrity issues.

4

Is CVE-2026-72046 specific to any Linux kernel version?

CVE-2026-72046 affects certain versions of the Linux kernel and requires an update to the latest stable release.

5

When was CVE-2026-72046 published?

CVE-2026-72046 was published on August 15, 2026.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203