Linux Linux Kernel
CVE-2026-43503
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: skbuff: propagate shared-frag marker through frag-transfer helpers Two frag-transfer helpers (__pskb_copy_fclone() and skb_shift()) fail to propagate the SKBFL_SHARED_FRAG bit in skb_shinfo()->flags when moving frags from source to destination. __pskb_copy_fclone() defers the rest of the shinfo metadata to skb_copy_header() after copying frag descriptors, but that helper only carries over gso_{size,segs, type} and never touches skb_shinfo()->flags; skb_shift() moves frag descriptors directly and leaves flags untouched. As a result, the destination skb keeps a reference to the same externally-owned or page-cache-backed pages while reporting skb_has_shared_frag() as false. The mismatch is harmful in any in-place writer that uses skb_has_shared_frag() to decide whether shared pages must be detoured through skb_cow_data(). ESP input is one such writer (esp4.c, esp6.c), and a single nft 'dup to ' rule -- or any other nf_dup_ipv4() / xt_TEE caller -- is enough to land a pskb_copy()'d skb in esp_input() with the marker stripped, letting an unprivileged user write into the page cache of a root-owned read-only file via authencesn-ESN stray writes. Set SKBFL_SHARED_FRAG on the destination whenever frag descriptors were actually moved from the source. skb_copy() and skb_copy_expand() share skb_copy_header() too but linearize all paged data into freshly allocated head storage and emerge with nr_frags == 0, so skb_has_shared_frag() returns false on its own; they need no change. The same omission exists in skb_gro_receive() and skb_gro_receive_list(). The former moves the incoming skb's frag descriptors into the accumulator's last sub-skb via two paths (a direct frag-move loop and the head_frag + memcpy path); the latter chains the incoming skb whole onto p's frag_list. Downstream skb_segment() reads only skb_shinfo(p)->flags, and skb_segment_list() reuses each sub-skb's shinfo as the nskb -- both p and lp m
What this means for your business
- It affects Linux Kernel. It matters if your company, or a supplier that handles your data, runs it.
- An attacker can use it only with access to the machine itself, with an ordinary user login, and without anyone at your company clicking anything.
- FIRST's prediction model gives it a 0.3% chance of attack attempts being seen in the next 30 days, ranking above 26% of all known flaws.
What to do
- 1Check whether your company or your suppliers run Linux Kernel, and which version. The affected versions are listed further down this page.
- 2If you do, apply the vendor's fix. A patch or vendor advisory has been published.
Not sure if your company is exposed?
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Scoring
- CVSS
- 8.8 (v3.1)
- Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H- Weakness
- CWE-664
- Assigned by
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Dates
- Published
- 2026-05-23
- Last modified
- 2026-08-24
- Sources
- NVD
Affected products
- Linux Linux Kernel3.9 - 5.10.257, 5.11 - 5.15.208, 5.16 - 6.1.174, 6.2 - 6.6.141, 6.7 - 6.12.91, 6.13 - 6.18.33, 6.19 - 7.0.10, 7.1
As listed in the NVD configuration data. Not a statement about your estate.
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/12401fcfb01f53ccc63ab0a3246570fe8f3105ee
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/179f1852bdedc300e373e807cc102cd81feff196
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/48f6a5356a33dd78e7144ae1faef95ffc990aae0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/989214c66884d70716d83dc1d0bf5e16287bf349
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9bc9d6d6967a2239aa57af2aa53554eddd640d20
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fbeab9555564a1b98e8582cd106dfe46c4606991
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fc6eb39c55e97df2f94ad974b8a5bbcd019da2c8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ff375cc75f9167168db38e0464a482d5fbc8d81d
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:19521
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:19540
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:19568
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:19569
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:19664
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:19666
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:19705