CVE-2026-74623
Received Received - Intake

Memory Leak in Linux Kernel Atlantic NIC Driver

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-74623, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-08-22

Last updated on: 2026-08-22

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: atlantic: free stranded TX buffers on ring deinit aq_vec_deinit() drains the TX rings with a single aq_ring_tx_clean() call, which frees at most AQ_CFG_TX_CLEAN_BUDGET (256) descriptors and stops at hw_head, which no longer moves once aq_vec_stop() has stopped the hardware and NAPI. Completed descriptors beyond the budget and everything still posted in [hw_head, sw_tail) keep their skb or xdp_frame when the interface goes down: aq_vec_ring_free() then frees the buffer ring and the references are lost for good. Today this is a silent memory leak on every interface down under TX/XDP_TX load. With the conversion of the RX path to page_pool posted for net-next it becomes much more visible: XDP_TX frames carry fragment references on the RX ring's page_pool, so a single stranded frame keeps the pool's inflight count above zero forever. page_pool_destroy() then never completes, the pool is leaked together with its pages, and "page_pool_release_retry() stalled pool shutdown" is warned every 60 seconds from that point on, on every ifdown, XDP detach or ring resize under XDP_TX load. Bring back aq_ring_tx_deinit() as it was before the removal and use it for teardown again, with one extension: TX rings can hold xdp_frames nowadays, so release those too. They are returned with xdp_return_frame() since this runs in process context.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-22
Last Modified
2026-08-22
Generated
2026-08-22
AI Q&A
2026-08-22
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Currently, no data is known.

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves stranded TX buffers not being freed when a network interface is deinitialized. When the interface goes down, completed descriptors and posted buffers keep their skb or xdp_frame references, causing a memory leak. This is exacerbated with XDP_TX as it prevents page pool shutdown, leading to repeated warnings and resource leaks.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's Atlantic NIC driver and may not have direct detection commands. Monitor for memory leaks during interface down events, especially under TX/XDP_TX load. Check kernel logs for 'page_pool_release_retry() stalled pool shutdown' warnings every 60 seconds after ifdown, XDP detach, or ring resize.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can cause memory leaks on every interface down under TX/XDP_TX load. It may lead to system instability, resource exhaustion, and repeated warnings about stalled pool shutdowns, affecting performance and reliability of network operations.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Linux kernel to a patched version that resolves this issue. Avoid unloading or bringing down interfaces under high TX/XDP_TX load until the patch is applied. Monitor system logs for related warnings as indicators of potential exposure.

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