net/mlx5e: macsec: fix use-after-free of metadata_dst on RX SC delete

MITRE NVD CVE.ORG JSON API

Summary

CVECVE-2026-72072
StatePUBLISHED
AssignerLinux
Source PriorityCVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback
Published2026-08-15 06:21:16 UTC
Updated2026-08-17 06:18:05 UTC
DescriptionIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5e: macsec: fix use-after-free of metadata_dst on RX SC delete When an offloaded MACsec RX SC is deleted, macsec_del_rxsc_ctx() freed the per-SC metadata_dst with metadata_dst_free(), which kfree()s the object unconditionally and ignores the dst reference count. The RX datapath in mlx5e_macsec_offload_handle_rx_skb() looks up the SC under rcu_read_lock() via xa_load(), takes a reference with dst_hold() and attaches the dst to the skb with skb_dst_set(). A reader that already obtained the rx_sc pointer can race with the delete path and operate on freed memory. Fix the owner side by dropping the reference with dst_release() instead of freeing unconditionally, and convert the RX datapath to dst_hold_safe() so a reader racing the SC delete cannot attach a dst whose last reference was just dropped; only attach it when a reference was actually taken. mlx5e_macsec_add_rxsc() also published sc_xarray_element via xa_alloc() before rx_sc->md_dst was allocated and initialised, so a datapath reader that looked the SC up by fs_id could observe rx_sc with md_dst still NULL or, on weakly-ordered architectures, a non-NULL md_dst pointer whose contents were not yet visible. NULL-check the xa_load() result and md_dst on the datapath, and reorder add_rxsc() so the xa_alloc() publish happens only after md_dst is fully initialised; the xarray RCU publish then pairs with the rcu_read_lock()/xa_load() in the datapath. Note: macsec_del_rxsc_ctx() also kfree()s rx_sc->sc_xarray_element without an RCU grace period while the same datapath reads it under rcu_read_lock(); that is a separate pre-existing issue left to a follow-up patch. Found by 0sec automated security-research tooling (https://0sec.ai).

Risk And Classification

Primary CVSS: v3.1 7.8 HIGH from 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS: 0.001710000 probability, percentile 0.068290000 (date 2026-08-17)

VersionSourceTypeScoreSeverityVector
3.1416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67Secondary7.8HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
3.1CNADECLARED7.8HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS v3.1 Breakdown

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Vendor Declared Affected Products

SourceVendorProductVersionPlatforms
CNA Linux Linux affected b7c9400cbc48c3713190b3bce4e0c87e924e4104 b1a4d0c568bbb52c7c04f4fce3c097dae89ed6cb git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected b7c9400cbc48c3713190b3bce4e0c87e924e4104 218cc15a4c907659ad4b0e68c535c61594311205 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected b7c9400cbc48c3713190b3bce4e0c87e924e4104 4a5073b7b30243658f58b2d2d35a823da7fd34d9 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected b7c9400cbc48c3713190b3bce4e0c87e924e4104 ed3cc4218070d6b98bf5fb456dccae424fd38c4f git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected b7c9400cbc48c3713190b3bce4e0c87e924e4104 088873af13590ebde10de2ade847f57a05ec61c6 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected b7c9400cbc48c3713190b3bce4e0c87e924e4104 de74d8fd10291763d97b218f09adcc7513c975e4 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 6.1 Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.1 semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.1.178 6.1.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.6.145 6.6.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.12.97 6.12.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.18.40 6.18.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 7.1.5 7.1.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 7.2 * original_commit_for_fix Not specified

References

ReferenceSourceLinkTags
git.kernel.org/stable/c/4a5073b7b30243658f58b2d2d35a823da7fd34d9 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org
git.kernel.org/stable/c/088873af13590ebde10de2ade847f57a05ec61c6 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org
git.kernel.org/stable/c/de74d8fd10291763d97b218f09adcc7513c975e4 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org
git.kernel.org/stable/c/218cc15a4c907659ad4b0e68c535c61594311205 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org
git.kernel.org/stable/c/b1a4d0c568bbb52c7c04f4fce3c097dae89ed6cb 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org
git.kernel.org/stable/c/ed3cc4218070d6b98bf5fb456dccae424fd38c4f 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org
CVE Program record CVE.ORG www.cve.org canonical
NVD vulnerability detail NVD nvd.nist.gov canonical, analysis

© CVE.report 2026

Use of this information constitutes acceptance for use in an AS IS condition. There are NO warranties, implied or otherwise, with regard to this information or its use. Any use of this information is at the user's risk. It is the responsibility of user to evaluate the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, opinion, advice or other content. EACH USER WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY consequences of his or her direct or indirect use of this web site. ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND ARE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED. This site will NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT or any other kind of loss.

CVE, CWE, and OVAL are registred trademarks of The MITRE Corporation and the authoritative source of CVE content is MITRE's CVE web site. This site includes MITRE data granted under the following license.

Free CVE JSON API cve.report/api

CVE.report and Source URL Uptime Status status.cve.report