CVE-2026-22994: bpf: Fix reference count leak in bpf_prog_test_run_xdp()
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 22/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.14% (FIRST EPSS).
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- Fixed version: Linux Linux 368569bc546d3368ee9980ba79fc42fdff9a3365, 737be05a765761d7d7c9f7fe92274bd8e6f6951e, 98676ee71fd4eafeb8be63c7f3f1905d40e03101.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 368569bc546d3368ee9980ba79fc42fdff9a3365, 737be05a765761d7d7c9f7fe92274bd8e6f6951e, 98676ee71fd4eafeb8be63c7f3f1905d40e03101 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix reference count leak in bpf_prog_test_run_xdp() syzbot is reporting unregister_netdevice: waiting for sit0 to become free. Usage count = 2 problem. A debug printk() patch found that a refcount is obtained at xdp_convert_md_to_buff() from bpf_prog_test_run_xdp(). According to commit ec94670fcb3b ("bpf: Support specifying ingress via xdp_md context in BPF_PROG_TEST_RUN"), the refcount obtained by xdp_convert_md_to_buff() will be released by xdp_convert_buff_to_md(). Therefore, we can consider that the error handling path introduced by commit 1c1949982524 ("bpf: introduce frags support to bpf_prog_test_run_xdp()") forgot to call xdp_convert_buff_to_md().
- Published
- Jan 23, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 15, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.1% · 3th percentile
- CWE
- —
Report tools
Action score
22
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.1%
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux kernel | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- linux linux kernel5.18 and later · before 6.1.161
- linux linux kernel6.2 and later · before 6.6.121
- linux linux kernel6.7 and later · before 6.12.66
- linux linux kernel6.13 and later · before 6.18.6
- linux linux kernel6.19
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Linux). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Linux Linux
- 5.18affected
- 1c194998252469cad00a08bd9ef0b99fd255c260 and later · before 368569bc546d3368ee9980ba79fc42fdff9a3365affected · git
- 1c194998252469cad00a08bd9ef0b99fd255c260 and later · before 98676ee71fd4eafeb8be63c7f3f1905d40e03101affected · git
- 1c194998252469cad00a08bd9ef0b99fd255c260 and later · before fb9ef40cccdbacce36029b305d0ef1e12e4fea38affected · git
- 1c194998252469cad00a08bd9ef0b99fd255c260 and later · before 737be05a765761d7d7c9f7fe92274bd8e6f6951eaffected · git
- 1c194998252469cad00a08bd9ef0b99fd255c260 and later · before ec69daabe45256f98ac86c651b8ad1b2574489a7affected · git
- before 5.18not affected · semver
- 6.1.161 and later · up to and including 6.1.*not affected · semver
- 6.6.121 and later · up to and including 6.6.*not affected · semver
- 6.12.66 and later · up to and including 6.12.*not affected · semver
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | linux | before 6.1.162-1 | 6.1.162-1 |
| Debian:13 | linux | before 6.12.69-1 | 6.12.69-1 |
| Debian:14 | linux | before 6.18.8-1 | 6.18.8-1 |
Same product
linux: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2026-31431crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-placeKEV90Now
- CVE-2022-0847A flaw was found in the way the "flags" member of the new pipe buffer structure was lacking proper initialization in copy_page_to_iter_pipe KEV89Now
- CVE-2021-22555Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACEKEV85Now
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-22991Jan 23, 2026 · libceph: make free_choose_arg_map() resilient to partial allocation22Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-22992Jan 23, 2026 · libceph: return the handler error from mon_handle_auth_done()22Monitor
- Later →CVE-2026-23000Jan 25, 2026 · net/mlx5e: Fix crash on profile change rollback failure22Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Linux Linux | 368569bc546d3368ee9980ba79fc42fdff9a3365 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 737be05a765761d7d7c9f7fe92274bd8e6f6951e | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 98676ee71fd4eafeb8be63c7f3f1905d40e03101 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | ec69daabe45256f98ac86c651b8ad1b2574489a7 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | fb9ef40cccdbacce36029b305d0ef1e12e4fea38 | Vendor (CNA) |
| debian:linux | 6.1.162-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- none
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
—
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (6 more)Show less
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/737be05a765761d7d7c9f7fe92274bd8e6f6951e
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/98676ee71fd4eafeb8be63c7f3f1905d40e03101
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ec69daabe45256f98ac86c651b8ad1b2574489a7
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/fb9ef40cccdbacce36029b305d0ef1e12e4fea38
- cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-019113.html
- cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-457936.html
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.