CVE-2026-53229 — net/mlx5e: xsk: Fix DMA and xdp_frame leak on XDP_TX xmit failure
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5e: xsk: Fix DMA and xdp_frame leak on XDP_TX xmit failure In the XSK branch of mlx5e_xmit_xdp_buff(), when sq->xmit_xdp_frame() returns false (e.g. XDPSQ is full), the function returns without unmapping the DMA address or freeing the xdp_frame allocated by xdp_convert_zc_to_xdp_frame(). The xdpi_fifo push only happens on success, so the completion path cannot recover these entries. With CONFIG_DMA_API_DEBUG=y, the leak surfaces on driver unbind: DMA-API: pci 0000:08:00.0: device driver has pending DMA allocations while released from device [count=1116] One of leaked entries details: [device address=0x000000010ffd7028] [size=1534 bytes] [mapped with DMA_TO_DEVICE] [mapped as phy] WARNING: kernel/dma/debug.c:881 at dma_debug_device_change+0x127/0x180 ... DMA-API: Mapped at: debug_dma_map_phys+0x4b/0xd0 dma_map_phys+0xfd/0x2d0 mlx5e_xdp_handle+0x5ae/0xac0 [mlx5_core] mlx5e_xsk_skb_from_cqe_mpwrq_linear+0xc4/0x170 [mlx5_core] mlx5e_handle_rx_cqe_mpwrq+0xc1/0x290 [mlx5_core] Add the missing unmap + xdp_return_frame, matching the cleanup already done in mlx5e_xdp_xmit(). has_frags is rejected earlier in this branch, so no per-frag unmap is needed.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.4% (30-day exploitation probability)+6
- Technical severity (high)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux, Linux Linux Kernel).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | ≥ 84a0a2310d6de247335574649726cb000c7c0074 and < 7b3eeba50fbc3b45f279037c29a87a90e8bac1e1≥ 84a0a2310d6de247335574649726cb000c7c0074 and < 2789b74ae1f4b68333c9d5eec2f3354d07b16e61≥ 84a0a2310d6de247335574649726cb000c7c0074 and < 0aabca726b43d833721034e97d99efcc8237b22a≥ 84a0a2310d6de247335574649726cb000c7c0074 and < b69004f5a6ad32da84d8aa5b23b9c0caafe6252eversion 5.3 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Linux | Linux Kernel |
≥ 5.3 and < 6.12.94≥ 6.13 and < 6.18.36≥ 6.19 and < 7.0.13version 7.1-rc1version 7.1-rc2version 7.1-rc3version 7.1-rc4version 7.1-rc5 and 2 moreversion 7.1-rc6version 7.1-rc7 |
Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 3.9 | 3.6 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | Linux via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
CWE-401 · Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.44%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- Record published
- Fix documented
- CVSS changed · 7.5
- Source status changed · → Analyzed
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
4 on the record
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 9h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 9h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98426 wifi: mwifiex: fix IRQ leak using wrong index in MSI-X error path 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98431 RDMA/uverbs: Fix mmap_lock/disassociation_lock circular dependency 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98430 RDMA/efa: Keep admin queues alive while IRQ is registered 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98429 RDMA/efa: Keep EQ resources alive while IRQ is registered 1d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No CISA SSVC assessment.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-53229 is "net/mlx5e: xsk: Fix DMA and xdp_frame leak on XDP_TX xmit failure", rated High. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.44% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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