Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Trigger needs a non-attacker-controlled memory-allocation failure plus specific OVS/ESP config (AC:H, PR:L, AV:L); impact is limited corruption/exposure of shared frags, not full compromise (C:L/I:L/A:L).
Primary rating from Vendor (Linux).
CVSS VectorVendor: Linux
Lifecycle Timeline
5DescriptionCVE.org
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net: skbuff: don't skb_tx_error() the source skb in skb_zerocopy()
skb_zerocopy() copies frags from @from into @to. On an skb_orphan_frags() failure it calls skb_tx_error(@from), a destructive operation on the source skb the copy helper does not own. That completes @from's zerocopy uarg and clears SKBFL_ALL_ZEROCOPY, including the SKBFL_SHARED_FRAG page-ownership marker.
Both callers already report the failure on their own drop path. nfnetlink_queue does it at nla_put_failure, and Open vSwitch does it in the flow-miss drop arm of ovs_dp_process_packet(), so nothing is lost by dropping it here.
On Open vSwitch's OVS_ACTION_ATTR_USERSPACE path the skb is not freed on this error: do_execute_actions() ignores output_userspace()'s return value and, unless the upcall was the last action, keeps forwarding the same skb through the flow's remaining actions. The uarg is completed while that skb is still in flight, telling the producer its buffers are free, and SKBFL_SHARED_FRAG is cleared on an skb the rest of the stack still handles. That flag is what makes esp_input() call skb_cow_data() instead of decrypting in place, so a later local ESP delivery can decrypt over frags the skb does not own privately.
Leave error reporting to the callers.
AnalysisAI
A correctness bug in the Linux kernel's skb_zerocopy() helper causes it to destructively call skb_tx_error() on the source skb it is only copying from, completing that skb's zerocopy uarg and clearing the SKBFL_SHARED_FRAG page-ownership marker while the skb is still in flight. The bug only manifests on the skb_orphan_frags() failure path, which is driven by kernel memory-allocation pressure rather than attacker-controlled input, and only on hosts using Open vSwitch datapath userspace upcall actions (OVS_ACTION_ATTR_USERSPACE) or nfnetlink_queue (NFQUEUE) delivery with MSG_ZEROCOPY-backed source skbs; the most severe consequence - later in-place ESP decryption over frags the skb no longer privately owns - additionally requires local ESP/IPsec delivery of the affected skb. …
Unlock full vulnerability intelligence
- Risk assessment & exploitation conditions
- Attack chain visualization
- Remediation with exact patch versions
- Threat intelligence from 22 sources
- Personal watchlist & email alerts
Free forever · No credit card required
Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata
Vulnerability AssessmentAI
| Exploitation | Requires a Linux host whose networking stack invokes skb_zerocopy() - specifically Open vSwitch datapath configured with an OVS_ACTION_ATTR_USERSPACE (userspace upcall) flow action, or nfnetlink_queue (NFQUEUE) userspace packet delivery - combined with zerocopy (MSG_ZEROCOPY / uarg-backed) source skbs. … Additional conditions and limiting factors are described in the full assessment. |
| Risk Assessment | This is a high-CVSS-but-low-real-risk correctness bug, not a priority for most defenders. … Full risk analysis with EPSS, KEV, and SSVC signal comparison available after sign-in. |
| Exploit Scenario | Full exploit scenario with step-by-step reproduction available after sign-in. |
| Remediation | Apply the vendor-released kernel patches: upgrade to Linux 5.10.270, 5.15.221, 6.1.188, 6.6.157, 6.12.110, 6.18.51 or 7.2.5 depending on your stable branch (the 7.3-rc1 line also contains the fix), or pick up the corresponding stable fix commits referenced under CVE-2026-90049 at https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/849bdb83123760a865bcb2970127f4c0b9423ba3, https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fb10e0e9b220a2eed08931a60dbaad9a2370c908, https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/767ec2a65cc022d303b0c9c12811e7db22057341, https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8069643ae64dfdf634b6c78c7f622e5323031436, https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/04dd250a78e268af3e7124beb1dc10ec1dd88d60, https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a13b1e80e5015cd732440b475c0ef443dc4a2157, https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bab5a851e44a3601d31f2aa8043f385bb50ac5d9 and https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8ece906150128d5ec2462aabcc978c568433eca4, and see the NVD reference https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-90049 for tracking. … Detailed patch versions, workarounds, and compensating controls in full report. |
Recommended ActionAI
Within 24 hours, inventory Linux hosts to identify kernel versions in the affected range and flag any system running Open vSwitch datapath userspace upcall actions (OVS_ACTION_ATTR_USERSPACE), nfnetlink_queue (NFQUEUE) delivery, or local IPsec/ESP processing, since these configurations carry the highest risk; confirm whether MSG_ZEROCOPY is enabled on those paths and raise monitoring for kernel panics, packet corruption, or anomalous decrypted traffic. …
Sign in for detailed remediation steps and compensating controls.
Threat intelligence, references, and detailed analysis are available after sign-in.
Same technique Information Disclosure
View allShare
External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today
EUVD-2026-80657
GHSA-px64-7mq2-m5mm