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TI-2020-18957 Aliases CVE-2020-36789GHSA-5974-c6r6-2pv9

can: dev: can_get_echo_skb(): prevent call to kfree_skb() in hard IRQ context

Priority LOW 24CWE-476Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Local
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Denial of service
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
None · None · High
Fix status
Partial Red Hat: 3 without a fix

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-476.

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: can: dev: can_get_echo_skb(): prevent call to kfree_skb() in hard IRQ context If a driver calls can_get_echo_skb() during a hardware IRQ (which is often, but not always, the case), the 'WARN_ON(in_irq)' in net/core/skbuff.c#skb_release_head_state() might be triggered, under network congestion circumstances, together with the potential risk of a NULL pointer dereference. The root cause of this issue is the call to kfree_skb() instead of dev_kfree_skb_irq() in net/core/dev.c#enqueue_to_backlog(). This patch prevents the skb to be freed within the call to netif_rx() by incrementing its reference count with skb_get(). The skb is finally freed by one of the in-irq-context safe functions: dev_consume_skb_any() or dev_kfree_skb_any(). The "any" version is used because some drivers might call can_get_echo_skb() in a normal context. The reason for this issue to occur is that initially, in the core network stack, loopback skb were not supposed to be received in hardware IRQ context. The CAN stack is an exeption. This bug was previously reported back in 2017 in [1] but the proposed patch never got accepted. While [1] directly modifies net/core/dev.c, we try to propose here a smoother modification local to CAN network stack (the assumption behind is that only CAN devices are affected by this issue). [1] http://lore.kernel.org/r/[email protected]

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.0019 8th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Linux (Linux): 4.4.244, 4.9.244, 4.14.207 +4Red Hat: 3 without a fix

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
No
Technical impact
Partial

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
LinuxLinux2.6.31 and later4.4.244, 4.9.244, 4.14.207, 4.19.158, 5.4.78, 5.9.9, 5.10Patch availableCNA
  • Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.31 and later Fixed in 4.4.244, 4.9.244, 4.14.207, 4.19.158, 5.4.78, 5.9.9, 5.10 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 3

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*2.6.31 to before 4.4.244; 4.5 to before 4.9.244; 4.10 to before 4.14.207; 4.15 to before 4.19.158; 4.20 to before 5.4.78; 5.5 to before 5.9.9VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.10:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*5.10 rc1VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.10:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*5.10 rc2VulnerableLinux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.31 to before 4.4.244; 4.5 to before 4.9.244; 4.10 to before 4.14.207; 4.15 to before 4.19.158; 4.20 to before 5.4.78; 5.5 to before 5.9.9 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.10:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.10 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.10:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.10 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 4.4.244, 4.9.244, 4.14.207, 4.19.158, 5.4.78, 5.9.9, 5.10

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Not affected: 2 products
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2020-36789
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-5974-c6r6-2pv9

References

  • TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
  • TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
  • TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
See all 15278 →

Sources