CVE-2026-98492

Received Received - Intake

Memory Leak in Linux Kernel macb Driver

Publication date: 2026-10-18

Last updated on: 2026-10-19

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: macb: fix dma_alloc_coherent() leak on macb_alloc() error paths Fix 3 leaks in macb_alloc() error paths: - Tx buffer allocated but crossing a 4G boundary: Tx leaked. - Rx buffer allocation fails: Tx leaked. - Rx buffer allocated but crossing a 4G boundary: Tx & Rx leaked. This is because our error handling calls macb_free(bp) which in turn frees the buffers stored in bp->queues[0], but nothing has been stored in there. Fix by storing allocated buffers into bp->queues[0] ASAP.

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Meta Information

Published

2026-10-18

Last Modified

2026-10-19

Generated

2026-11-08

AI Q&A

2026-10-18

EPSS Evaluated

2026-11-07

NVD

CVE-2026-98492

EUVD

EUVD-2026-103732

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
Linux	Linux	78d901897b3cae06b38f54e48a2378cf9da21175
Linux	Linux	78d901897b3cae06b38f54e48a2378cf9da21175
Linux	Linux	78d901897b3cae06b38f54e48a2378cf9da21175
Linux	Linux	982a4d9a2e12b693f684eff943043a607628d871
Linux	Linux	6.17.3
Linux	Linux	6.18

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves memory leaks in the macb_alloc() function used by the macb network driver. When errors occur during buffer allocation for network operations, allocated memory is not properly freed, leading to leaks. Specifically, leaks happen when Tx buffers cross a 4G boundary, Rx buffer allocation fails, or Rx buffers cross a 4G boundary.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's macb driver and involves memory leaks in error paths. Detection requires checking for kernel logs or errors related to macb driver failures, especially during network interface initialization or DMA buffer allocation. Monitor dmesg or journalctl for macb-related errors.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can cause system instability due to memory exhaustion. If exploited repeatedly, it may lead to crashes, performance degradation, or denial of service. Systems using the affected macb network driver are at risk.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability involves memory leaks in the Linux kernel's macb driver due to improper error handling in buffer allocation. It does not directly relate to data privacy, access control, or audit logging, which are key focus areas for GDPR and HIPAA compliance.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest kernel patch that resolves this issue. Update your Linux kernel to a version containing the fix for CVE-2026-98492. If immediate patching is not possible, monitor for network interface failures or memory leaks in macb driver logs.

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