CVE-2026-80841
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's net/packet component, specifically within the AF_PACKET transmission ring. This vulnerability occurs because virtual memory allocated for network packet handling is prematurely released while active network buffers (socket kernel buffers, or skbs) still hold references to it. This improper memory management can lead to memory corruption, potentially allowing a local attacker to cause a system crash (Denial of Service).
Statement
An IMPORTANT severity flaw was found in the Linux kernel's AF_PACKET (net/packet) TX_RING implementation, affecting the kernel and kernel-rt packages in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, 9, and 10, Red Hat In-Vehicle OS 2, and the affected OpenShift streams. When a vmalloc-backed transmission ring is freed on socket close or replaced while transmitted skbs are still pending, those skbs can still hold raw pointers to their ring frames, because skb page references preserve page-backed ring blocks but not vmalloc mappings. A local attacker able to use AF_PACKET sockets could race ring teardown against pending transmissions to trigger kernel memory corruption, resulting in a system crash or denial of service. Red Hat rated this flaw with a CVSS 3.1 score of 7.0 (AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H); the high attack complexity reflects the race-condition window required for reliable exploitation. Because the affected product streams are delegated, fixes are being pursued by the respective product teams.
Mitigation
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base, or stability.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 7 | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | High | N/A | N/A |
| Privileges Required | Low | N/A | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | N/A |
| Confidentiality | High | N/A | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Read Memory
If the expired pointer is used in a read operation, an attacker might be able to control data read in by the application.
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
If the expired pointer references a memory location that is not accessible to the product, or points to a location that is "malformed" (such as NULL) or larger than expected by a read or write operation, then a crash may occur.
Integrity,Confidentiality,Availability
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
If the expired pointer is used in a function call, or points to unexpected data in a write operation, then code execution may be possible.
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