CVE-2026-80841 — net/packet: defer vmalloc TX_RING free until skbs finish
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/packet: defer vmalloc TX_RING free until skbs finish AF_PACKET TX_RING skbs keep a raw pointer to their ring frame. The skb page references preserve page-backed ring blocks after pg_vec is freed, but they do not preserve a vmalloc mapping. tpacket_destruct_skb() currently drops the pending reference before writing the timestamp and TP_STATUS_AVAILABLE to the frame. Move the decrement after those stores. The smp_wmb() in __packet_set_status() orders the frame stores before the decrement. Also recheck pending TX frames under pg_vec_lock before non-closing ring replacement, so a racing send cannot add a pending skb between the initial check and the ring swap. Ring allocation can produce a mixture of page-backed and vmalloc-backed blocks. Allocate deferred-work storage during TX ring setup when the first vmalloc-backed block is encountered, and keep its pointer in the pg_vec allocation header. If allocation fails, return -ENOMEM from ring setup. On socket close, a non-NULL pointer identifies a vmalloc-backed vector without a scan. If TX skbs remain, defer the whole vector to system_long_wq. After pg_vec is detached, a late destructor can skip the pending decrement. Use socket write-memory accounting as the deferred lifetime gate instead: an skb remains charged through its final sock_wfree(), after all ring-frame accesses. The delayed work retains a socket reference and reschedules itself until no TX skbs remain. Move pending_refcnt release to packet_sock_destruct() so late skb destructors and deferred cleanup can safely use it after packet_release(). Page-backed teardown remains synchronous, and no lock is added to the TX completion hot path.
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 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1
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.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
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).
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | ≥ b013840810c221f2b0cf641d01531526052dc1fb and < debf9f50140b3df3949ebcb97d4450f8993fe32d≥ b013840810c221f2b0cf641d01531526052dc1fb and < 4ce6e2d2e38055b2012bd5fdb0c8a8183c8a1b0c≥ b013840810c221f2b0cf641d01531526052dc1fb and < ed25ed29034ddc3dbe451ccbaa58ab9932f99d8b≥ b013840810c221f2b0cf641d01531526052dc1fb and < 0189dce07db2dc059ae0570e06758ec4233c6e11≥ b013840810c221f2b0cf641d01531526052dc1fb and < 550d00aa58193fb649a09a9c9e338c685adad784≥ b013840810c221f2b0cf641d01531526052dc1fb and < 992cc9f94ca924089a506ba9b327caa9af797529version 3.14 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 15, 2026 → Oct 27, 2026 · 12 reading(s) · max 0.17%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Not enough vector or weakness data: use the affected application’s logs as a starting point.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Record published
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- Source status changed · → Received
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× References added · Oct 19, 2026 – Oct 19, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
References
8 on the record
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-80841
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ed25ed29034ddc3dbe451ccbaa58ab9932f99d8b
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/992cc9f94ca924089a506ba9b327caa9af797529
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/4ce6e2d2e38055b2012bd5fdb0c8a8183c8a1b0c
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/550d00aa58193fb649a09a9c9e338c685adad784
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/0189dce07db2dc059ae0570e06758ec4233c6e11
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/debf9f50140b3df3949ebcb97d4450f8993fe32d
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-2xw4-rh62-8q7m
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Unknown CVE-2026-99215 power: supply: core: prevent unregistering a power supply while a callback runs 5h
- Unknown CVE-2026-99216 Drivers: hv: Don't reset VMBus connection state on error/exit paths 5h
- Unknown CVE-2026-99214 drm/vc4: hdmi: Move packet RAM enable to PM runtime 5h
- Unknown CVE-2026-99213 vsock: treat TCP_CLOSING as once-established 5h
- Unknown CVE-2026-99212 net/rds: don't let the rdma_cm destroy an id RDS still owns on route failure 5h
- Unknown CVE-2026-99211 netlink: reset skb headers before unicast and multicast filtering 5h
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 CVSS score published by NVD, the CNA, CISA or GitHub so far.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No CISA SSVC assessment.
- No CWE classification.
- 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-2026-80841 is "net/packet: defer vmalloc TX_RING free until skbs finish", rated Unknown. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. EPSS 0.17% 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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