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net/mlx5e: macsec: fix use-after-free of metadata_dst on RX SC delete

Type: advisorySource: Official CVE List1 source record

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:

Announced Source revision 1
Original source ↗

CVE-2026-72072

Primary source · Revision 1

Imported from structured advisory data. Source references identify upstream records or fields; verify affected versions and your deployed configuration.

Security context

Source reference: cve:CVE-2026-72072

Linux

Source reference: /containers/cna/affected/0/product

Affected versions
Not stated in this record
Fixed versions
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Prerequisites
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Linux

Source reference: /containers/cna/affected/1/product

Affected versions
Not stated in this record
Fixed versions
Not stated in this record
Prerequisites
Not stated in this record

Structured affected-version data

Original package identities and version rules from this source.

[
  {
    "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
    "vendor": "Linux",
    "product": "Linux",
    "versions": [
      {
        "status": "affected",
        "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"
      }
    ],
    "programFiles": [
      "drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_accel/macsec.c"
    ],
    "defaultStatus": "unaffected"
  },
  {
    "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
    "vendor": "Linux",
    "product": "Linux",
    "versions": [
      {
        "status": "affected",
        "version": "6.1"
      },
      {
        "status": "unaffected",
        "version": "0",
        "lessThan": "6.1",
        "versionType": "semver"
      },
      {
        "status": "unaffected",
        "version": "6.1.178",
        "versionType": "semver",
        "lessThanOrEqual": "6.1.*"
      },
      {
        "status": "unaffected",
        "version": "6.6.145",
        "versionType": "semver",
        "lessThanOrEqual": "6.6.*"
      },
      {
        "status": "unaffected",
        "version": "6.12.97",
        "versionType": "semver",
        "lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*"
      },
      {
        "status": "unaffected",
        "version": "6.18.40",
        "versionType": "semver",
        "lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*"
      },
      {
        "status": "unaffected",
        "version": "7.1.5",
        "versionType": "semver",
        "lessThanOrEqual": "7.1.*"
      },
      {
        "status": "unaffected",
        "version": "7.2",
        "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix",
        "lessThanOrEqual": "*"
      }
    ],
    "programFiles": [
      "drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_accel/macsec.c"
    ],
    "defaultStatus": "affected"
  }
]
Related CVEs
CVE-2026-72072

Source reference: /cveMetadata/cveId

Publisher severity

high

Source reference: /containers/cna/metrics

Event
#41860 · Revision 1
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Publisher date
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