CVE-2026-98571
Received Received - Intake

Memory Corruption in Linux Kernel Network Stack

Publication date: 2026-10-18

Last updated on: 2026-10-18

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: stmmac: clear stale buf->page after recycling on skb build failure In stmmac_rx(), when napi_build_skb() fails the descriptor page is recycled back to the page pool with page_pool_recycle_direct(), but buf->page is left pointing at the recycled page, unlike every other consumption site in the function which clears the pointer after handing the page away. With the stale pointer stmmac_rx_refill() skips the replacement allocation and programs the already-recycled page back into the RX descriptor. Clear buf->page on the napi_build_skb() failure path to keep the buffer lifecycle consistent with the other consumption sites.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-10-18
Last Modified
2026-10-18
Generated
2026-10-18
AI Q&A
2026-10-18
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-98571
EUVD
EUVD-2026-103616

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 4 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
Linux Linux df542f669307918f054a17878ff6dd1ddbb2fe18
Linux Linux df542f669307918f054a17878ff6dd1ddbb2fe18
Linux Linux df542f669307918f054a17878ff6dd1ddbb2fe18
Linux Linux 6.14

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Exploitability

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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This is a Linux kernel vulnerability in the stmmac network driver. When building an SKB fails, the driver recycles a page but leaves a stale pointer. This causes the driver to reuse the same recycled page in RX descriptors, leading to inconsistent buffer handling.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability affects the Linux kernel's stmmac driver and may not have direct detection commands. Monitor kernel logs for stmmac-related errors or crashes after RX buffer recycling failures. Check for unusual network interface behavior or descriptor corruption.

Impact Analysis

This could cause network packet corruption or crashes in systems using the stmmac driver. It may lead to denial of service or data integrity issues on affected Linux systems.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Linux kernel to the latest stable version that includes the fix for this vulnerability. If immediate patching is not possible, disable the stmmac driver or monitor network interfaces for descriptor corruption until patched.

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