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CVE-2026-43503

Linux: net: skbuff: propagate shared-frag marker through frag-transfer helpers

Linux LinuxOperating systems
CVSS
8.8High
ExploitationPublic exploit codeExploit module, 21 May 2026. Not in the KEV catalogMetasploit
Exploit odds (EPSS)1.99%Chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 80% of CVEs. Scored 23 Oct 2026FIRST EPSS
Fixed in179f1852bdedc300e373e807cc102cd81feff196Also 12401fcfb01f53ccc63ab0a3246570fe8f3105ee, 989214c66884d70716d83dc1d0bf5e16287bf349 and 2 moreCVE List
Published23 May 2026Updated 16 Oct 2026CVE List

What fixes it

  • 179f1852bdedc300e373e807cc102cd81feff196LinuxCVE List
  • 12401fcfb01f53ccc63ab0a3246570fe8f3105eeLinuxCVE List
  • 989214c66884d70716d83dc1d0bf5e16287bf349LinuxCVE List
  • 9bc9d6d6967a2239aa57af2aa53554eddd640d20LinuxCVE List
  • 48f6a5356a33dd78e7144ae1faef95ffc990aae0LinuxCVE List

A fixed version on one release line is not the upgrade target for every line. Check your exact version and any vendor backports.

Timeline

  1. 21 May 2026Exploit code publicMetasploit
  2. 23 May 2026, 11:44 UTCPublishedCVE List

Public exploit code and templates 1

  • Exploit moduleLinux Kernel DirtyClone Local Privilege Escalation 21 May 2026Metasploit

Listed so defenders can prioritize. Threatline links to the source and does not host exploit code.

Description

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 <local>' 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 must carry the marker.

The same omission also exists in tcp_clone_payload(), which builds an MTU probe skb by moving frag descriptors from skbs on sk_write_queue into a freshly allocated nskb. The helper falls into the same family and warrants the same fix for consistency; no TCP TX-side in-place writer is currently known to reach a user page through this gap, but a future consumer depending on the marker would regress silently.

The same omission exists in skb_segment(): the per-iteration flag merge takes only head_skb's flag, and the inner switch that rebinds frag_skb to list_skb on head_skb-frags exhaustion does not fold the new frag_skb's flag into nskb. Fold frag_skb's flag at both sites so segments drawing frags from frag_list members carry the marker.

Text from CVE List

Affected versions 18

  • Linuxaffected: cef401de7be8c4e155c6746bfccf721a4fa5fab9 before fbeab9555564a1b98e8582cd106dfe46c4606991CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: cef401de7be8c4e155c6746bfccf721a4fa5fab9 before 179f1852bdedc300e373e807cc102cd81feff196CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: cef401de7be8c4e155c6746bfccf721a4fa5fab9 before 12401fcfb01f53ccc63ab0a3246570fe8f3105eeCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: cef401de7be8c4e155c6746bfccf721a4fa5fab9 before 989214c66884d70716d83dc1d0bf5e16287bf349CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: cef401de7be8c4e155c6746bfccf721a4fa5fab9 before fc6eb39c55e97df2f94ad974b8a5bbcd019da2c8CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: cef401de7be8c4e155c6746bfccf721a4fa5fab9 before ff375cc75f9167168db38e0464a482d5fbc8d81dCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: cef401de7be8c4e155c6746bfccf721a4fa5fab9 before 9bc9d6d6967a2239aa57af2aa53554eddd640d20CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: cef401de7be8c4e155c6746bfccf721a4fa5fab9 before 48f6a5356a33dd78e7144ae1faef95ffc990aae0CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 3.9CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: all versions before 3.9CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 5.10.257 through 5.10.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 5.15.208 through 5.15.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.1.174 through 6.1.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.6.141 through 6.6.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.12.91 through 6.12.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.18.33 through 6.18.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.0.10 through 7.0.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.1CVE List

References 42