CVE-2026-72072

Full vulnerability record from the local CVENow database.

Description

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).

Severity

HIGH

CVSS score

7.8 (v3.1)

Vulnerability status

Received

Source identifier

416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

Published

2026-08-15 06:21:16.943000

Last modified

2026-10-19 22:17:25.913000

View original CVE JSON

{
  "id": "CVE-2026-72072",
  "sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
  "published": "2026-08-15T06:21:16.943",
  "lastModified": "2026-10-19T22:17:25.913",
  "vulnStatus": "Received",
  "cveTags": [],
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnet/mlx5e: macsec: fix use-after-free of metadata_dst on RX SC delete\n\nWhen an offloaded MACsec RX SC is deleted, macsec_del_rxsc_ctx() freed\nthe per-SC metadata_dst with metadata_dst_free(), which kfree()s the\nobject unconditionally and ignores the dst reference count. The RX\ndatapath in mlx5e_macsec_offload_handle_rx_skb() looks up the SC under\nrcu_read_lock() via xa_load(), takes a reference with dst_hold() and\nattaches the dst to the skb with skb_dst_set(). A reader that already\nobtained the rx_sc pointer can race with the delete path and operate on\nfreed memory.\n\nFix the owner side by dropping the reference with dst_release() instead\nof freeing unconditionally, and convert the RX datapath to\ndst_hold_safe() so a reader racing the SC delete cannot attach a dst\nwhose last reference was just dropped; only attach it when a reference\nwas actually taken.\n\nmlx5e_macsec_add_rxsc() also published sc_xarray_element via xa_alloc()\nbefore rx_sc->md_dst was allocated and initialised, so a datapath reader\nthat looked the SC up by fs_id could observe rx_sc with md_dst still\nNULL or, on weakly-ordered architectures, a non-NULL md_dst pointer\nwhose contents were not yet visible. NULL-check the xa_load() result and\nmd_dst on the datapath, and reorder add_rxsc() so the xa_alloc() publish\nhappens only after md_dst is fully initialised; the xarray RCU publish\nthen pairs with the rcu_read_lock()/xa_load() in the datapath.\n\nNote: macsec_del_rxsc_ctx() also kfree()s rx_sc->sc_xarray_element\nwithout an RCU grace period while the same datapath reads it under\nrcu_read_lock(); that is a separate pre-existing issue left to a\nfollow-up patch.\n\nFound by 0sec automated security-research tooling (https://0sec.ai)."
    }
  ],
  "affected": [
    {
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
      "affectedData": [
        {
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "product": "Linux",
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_accel/macsec.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "versions": [
            {
              "version": "b7c9400cbc48c3713190b3bce4e0c87e924e4104",
              "lessThan": "b1a4d0c568bbb52c7c04f4fce3c097dae89ed6cb",
              "versionType": "git",
              "status": "affected"
            },
            {
              "version": "b7c9400cbc48c3713190b3bce4e0c87e924e4104",
              "lessThan": "218cc15a4c907659ad4b0e68c535c61594311205",
              "versionType": "git",
              "status": "affected"
            },
            {
              "version": "b7c9400cbc48c3713190b3bce4e0c87e924e4104",
              "lessThan": "4a5073b7b30243658f58b2d2d35a823da7fd34d9",
              "versionType": "git",
              "status": "affected"
            },
            {
              "version": "b7c9400cbc48c3713190b3bce4e0c87e924e4104",
              "lessThan": "ed3cc4218070d6b98bf5fb456dccae424fd38c4f",
              "versionType": "git",
              "status": "affected"
            },
            {
              "version": "b7c9400cbc48c3713190b3bce4e0c87e924e4104",
              "lessThan": "088873af13590ebde10de2ade847f57a05ec61c6",
              "versionType": "git",
              "status": "affected"
            },
            {
              "version": "b7c9400cbc48c3713190b3bce4e0c87e924e4104",
              "lessThan": "de74d8fd10291763d97b218f09adcc7513c975e4",
              "versionType": "git",
              "status": "affected"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "product": "Linux",
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_accel/macsec.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "versions": [
            {
              "version": "6.1",
              "status": "affected"
            },
            {
              "version": "0",
              "lessThan": "6.1",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "status": "unaffected"
            },
            {
              "version": "6.1.178",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.1.*",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "status": "unaffected"
            },
            {
              "version": "6.6.145",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.6.*",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "status": "unaffected"
            },
            {
              "version": "6.12.97",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "status": "unaffected"
            },
            {
              "version": "6.18.40",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "status": "unaffected"
            },
            {
              "version": "7.1.5",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "7.1.*",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "status": "unaffected"
            },
            {
              "version": "7.2",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "*",
              "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix",
              "status": "unaffected"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "metrics": {
    "cvssMetricV31": [
      {
        "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "type": "Secondary",
        "cvssData": {
          "version": "3.1",
          "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
          "baseScore": 7.8,
          "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
          "attackVector": "LOCAL",
          "attackComplexity": "LOW",
          "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
          "userInteraction": "NONE",
          "scope": "UNCHANGED",
          "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
          "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
          "availabilityImpact": "HIGH"
        },
        "exploitabilityScore": 1.8,
        "impactScore": 5.9
      }
    ],
    "ssvcV203": [
      {
        "source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
        "ssvcData": {
          "timestamp": "2026-10-16T15:51:23.230539Z",
          "id": "CVE-2026-72072",
          "options": [
            {
              "exploitation": "none"
            },
            {
              "automatable": "no"
            },
            {
              "technicalImpact": "total"
            }
          ],
          "role": "CISA Coordinator",
          "version": "2.0.3"
        }
      }
    ]
  },
  "weaknesses": [
    {
      "source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
      "type": "Secondary",
      "description": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "CWE-416"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "references": [
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/088873af13590ebde10de2ade847f57a05ec61c6",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/218cc15a4c907659ad4b0e68c535c61594311205",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    },
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      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
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    {
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      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
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    {
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      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
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      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    }
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}