CVE-2026-80681

Received Received - Intake

Use-After-Free in Linux Kernel VXLAN Module

Publication date: 2026-08-28

Last updated on: 2026-08-29

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vxlan: re-fetch eth header after route_shortcircuit() Before route_shortcircuit(), the eth header pointer is cached from eth_hdr(skb). Inside route_shortcircuit(), pskb_may_pull() can be called, which may reallocate skb->head. In this case, returning to vxlan_xmit() leaves the cached eth pointer pointing to freed memory, leading to a use-after-free when dereferencing eth->h_dest. Fix this by updating eth = eth_hdr(skb) after calling route_shortcircuit().

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-08-28

Last Modified

2026-08-29

Generated

2026-09-17

AI Q&A

2026-08-28

EPSS Evaluated

2026-09-15

NVD

CVE-2026-80681

EUVD

EUVD-2026-67557

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux	linux_kernel	*

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's VXLAN (Virtual Extensible LAN) module. The issue occurs when the eth header pointer is cached before calling route_shortcircuit(), which may reallocate skb->head. This leaves the cached pointer pointing to freed memory, causing a use-after-free when the pointer is later dereferenced.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's VXLAN implementation and may not have direct detection commands. Monitor kernel logs for crashes or use-after-free errors related to VXLAN. Check for kernel oops messages or system instability after VXLAN traffic.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, or cause a denial of service on affected Linux systems by triggering the use-after-free condition through network traffic.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability is a use-after-free issue in the Linux kernel's VXLAN implementation, which could lead to memory corruption or crashes. It does not directly impact compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or similar standards as it is a technical flaw rather than a data protection or privacy issue.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Linux kernel to the latest patched version that includes the fix for this VXLAN use-after-free issue. Avoid using VXLAN until the kernel is updated. Monitor vendor advisories for kernel updates.

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