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CVE-2026-98562

Linux: net: libwx: fix races in Tx timestamp handling

Linux LinuxOperating systems
CVSS
NoneNot scored
ExploitationNo known exploitationNot in CISA KEV, which does not prove it is unexploitedCISA KEV
Exploit odds (EPSS)0.19%Chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 8% of CVEs. Scored 23 Oct 2026FIRST EPSS
Fixed in3173cba1170131816972ed2b6185cb970ba8b747Fixed versionCVE List
Published18 Oct 2026Updated 19 Oct 2026CVE List

What fixes it

  • 3173cba1170131816972ed2b6185cb970ba8b747LinuxCVE List

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

Description

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

net: libwx: fix races in Tx timestamp handling

wx->ptp_tx_skb is shared between the Tx path, the PTP auxiliary worker and the timestamp cleanup paths. The WX_STATE_PTP_TX_IN_PROGRESS bit prevents multiple Tx paths from submitting timestamp requests, but does not serialize the worker against cleanup.

As a result, wx_ptp_clear_tx_timestamp() can free an skb after wx_ptp_tx_hwtstamp_work() has obtained its pointer. The worker may then pass the freed skb to skb_tstamp_tx() and release the same reference again.

The cleanup path may also clear the in-progress bit while the worker is still processing the old skb. This allows the Tx path to publish a new skb which the worker can subsequently overwrite with NULL, leaking its reference.

Add a dedicated spinlock to protect publication and consumption of the Tx timestamp skb. Detach the skb and clear the in-progress bit while holding the lock, then deliver the timestamp and release the skb after dropping it. Use the same locked cleanup in the quiesce path, but keep the detach there free of register accesses: quiesce runs during PCIe error recovery, where MMIO is not reliable, and it deliberately did not touch the device before. The lock is taken with interrupts disabled, because netpoll can call ndo_start_xmit() with hard interrupts already off.

When handling a Tx DMA mapping failure, keep the transmit path reference until after comparing the skb under the lock. This prevents skb address reuse from making the error path mistake a newer timestamp request for the failed one.

Text from CVE List

Affected versions 6

  • Linuxaffected: 06e75161b9d4833518a7c266310a0635eab50616 before e78b95cfd5df25d0c562aaef95d3c7fe6c7e0e66CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 06e75161b9d4833518a7c266310a0635eab50616 before 3173cba1170131816972ed2b6185cb970ba8b747CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 6.15CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: all versions before 6.15CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.2.9 through 7.2.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.3CVE List

References 2