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TI-2026-50352 Aliases CVE-2026-72072GHSA-5679-rjmw-gc7q

net/mlx5e: macsec: fix use-after-free of metadata_dst on RX SC delete

Priority LOW 35CWE-416Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Local
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Code execution
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · High · High
Fix status
Partial Red Hat: 5 fixed, 2 without a fix

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-416 and the CVSS impact.

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5e: macsec: fix use-after-free of metadata_dst on RX SC delete When an offloaded MACsec RX SC is deleted, macsec_del_rxsc_ctx() freed the per-SC metadata_dst with metadata_dst_free(), which kfree()s the object unconditionally and ignores the dst reference count. The RX datapath in mlx5e_macsec_offload_handle_rx_skb() looks up the SC under rcu_read_lock() via xa_load(), takes a reference with dst_hold() and attaches the dst to the skb with skb_dst_set(). A reader that already obtained the rx_sc pointer can race with the delete path and operate on freed memory. Fix the owner side by dropping the reference with dst_release() instead of freeing unconditionally, and convert the RX datapath to dst_hold_safe() so a reader racing the SC delete cannot attach a dst whose last reference was just dropped; only attach it when a reference was actually taken. mlx5e_macsec_add_rxsc() also published sc_xarray_element via xa_alloc() before rx_sc->md_dst was allocated and initialised, so a datapath reader that looked the SC up by fs_id could observe rx_sc with md_dst still NULL or, on weakly-ordered architectures, a non-NULL md_dst pointer whose contents were not yet visible. NULL-check the xa_load() result and md_dst on the datapath, and reorder add_rxsc() so the xa_alloc() publish happens only after md_dst is fully initialised; the xarray RCU publish then pairs with the rcu_read_lock()/xa_load() in the datapath. Note: macsec_del_rxsc_ctx() also kfree()s rx_sc->sc_xarray_element without an RCU grace period while the same datapath reads it under rcu_read_lock(); that is a separate pre-existing issue left to a follow-up patch. Found by 0sec automated security-research tooling (https://0sec.ai).

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00172 6th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Linux (Linux): 6.1.178, 6.6.145, 6.12.97 +3Red Hat: 1 advisoryRed Hat: 5 fixed, 2 without a fix

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
No
Technical impact
Total

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

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
LinuxLinux6.1 and later6.1.178, 6.6.145, 6.12.97, 6.18.40, 7.1.5, 7.2Patch availableCNA
  • Linux VendorLinux Affected 6.1 and later Fixed in 6.1.178, 6.6.145, 6.12.97, 6.18.40, 7.1.5, 7.2 Patch available CNA

CPE names Threatist (inferred) · 1

Inferred from how NVD named this product before; not given by a source.

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*——Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions — — ·Linux

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.1.178, 6.6.145, 6.12.97, 6.18.40, 7.1.5, 7.2

Red Hat 1 advisory

  • RHSA-2026:70459 Released 2026-09-23 · Red Hat rating Important
    kernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) kernel-64k-debug-devel-5.14.0-687.50.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-debug-devel-matched-5.14.0-687.50.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-devel-5.14.0-687.50.1.el9_8 +12
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) kernel-5.14.0-687.50.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-5.14.0-687.50.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-core-5.14.0-687.50.1.el9_8 +28
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) kernel-tools-libs-devel-5.14.0-687.50.1.el9_8, libperf-5.14.0-687.50.1.el9_8
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-687.50.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-64k-5.14.0-687.50.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-64k-core-5.14.0-687.50.1.el9_8 +21
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-687.50.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-core-5.14.0-687.50.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-debug-5.14.0-687.50.1.el9_8 +9

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

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

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10AffectedNo fix yet
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9)Fixed RHSA-2026:70459
Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9)Fixed RHSA-2026:70459
Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9)Fixed RHSA-2026:70459
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9)Fixed RHSA-2026:70459
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9)Fixed RHSA-2026:70459
Not affected: 3 products
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-72072
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-5679-rjmw-gc7q
  3. 2026-10-16 CISA SSVC decision points changed
  4. 2026-10-20 Weakness changed · CISA ADP
  5. 2026-10-26 CVSS score changed · Red Hat
  6. 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
  7. 2026-10-30 CVSS score changed · Red Hat

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-2021-02452 Incorrect authorization in Ubuntu linux kernel 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
See all 21727 →

Sources