esp: fix skb leak with espintcp and async crypto
Priority LOW 24CWE-401Published · 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: 4 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-401.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: esp: fix skb leak with espintcp and async crypto When the TX queue for espintcp is full, esp_output_tail_tcp will return an error and not free the skb, because with synchronous crypto, the common xfrm output code will drop the packet for us. With async crypto (esp_output_done), we need to drop the skb when esp_output_tail_tcp returns an error.
Why it matters now
Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00129 2nd percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Linux (Linux): 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.168 +5Red Hat: 4 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
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 5.6 and later | 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.168, 6.6.131, 6.12.80, 6.18.21, 6.19.11, 7.0 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.6 and later Fixed in 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.168, 6.6.131, 6.12.80, 6.18.21, 6.19.11, 7.0 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 8
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.6 to before 5.10.253; 5.11 to before 5.15.203; 5.16 to before 6.1.168; 6.2 to before 6.6.131; 6.7 to before 6.12.80; 6.13 to before 6.18.21; 6.19 to before 6.19.11 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 rc1 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 rc2 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 rc3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 rc4 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 rc5 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 rc6 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 rc7 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.6 to before 5.10.253; 5.11 to before 5.15.203; 5.16 to before 6.1.168; 6.2 to before 6.6.131; 6.7 to before 6.12.80; 6.13 to before 6.18.21; 6.19 to before 6.19.11 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc4 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc6 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc7 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.168, 6.6.131, 6.12.80, 6.18.21, 6.19.11, 7.0
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 1 product
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-31518
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-f37v-5r8j-33m9
- 2026-11-05 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
Patch 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aca3ad0c262f54a5b5c95dda80a48365997d1224
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/41aafca57de4a4c026701622bd4648f112a9edcd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4820847e036ff1035b01b69ad68dfc17e7028fe9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6a3ec6efbc4f90e0ccb2e71574f07351f19996f4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/df6f995358dc1f3c42484f5cfe241d7bd3e1cd15
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/88d386243ed374ac969dabd3bbc1409a31d81818
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6aa9841d917532d0f2d932d1ff2f3a94305aaf47
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0c0eef8ccd2413b0a10eb6bbd3442333b1e64dd2
More Linux Kernel vulnerabilities
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- 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
Sources
- CVE-2026-31518 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-31518 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-f37v-5r8j-33m9 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-31518 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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