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ice: fix metadata_dst refcount handling on representor teardown

Type: advisorySources: OSV

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ice: fix metadata_dst refcount handling on representor teardown ice_eswitch_release_repr() uses metadata_dst_free() to release the representor's metadata_dst. metadata_dst_free() directly frees the underlying memory without checking the dst_entry refcount. When ice_eswitch_port_start_xmit() processes a packet, it takes a reference via dst_hold() and attaches the metadata_dst to the skb. If the representor is torn down while packets are still queued on the lower device (e.g. in a qdisc), the metadata_dst is freed while references are still held. Use dst_release() instead, which correctly decrements the refcount and only frees the object when all references are dropped. The dst subsystem already handles metadata_dst cleanup in dst_destroy() when DST_METADATA is set. Other drivers sharing this pattern (nfp, airoha, bnxt) already use dst_release() for their metadata_dst lifecycle.

Products
Kernel
Affected versions
Not specified
Fixed versions
6.1.191, 6.12.113, 6.18.57, 6.6.160, 7.2.11
CVEs
CVE-2026-99043
Confirmed fixed CVEs
Not specified
Updated in this feed
3 Nov 2026, 06:13 UTC · Revision 1

Source evidence

ice: fix metadata_dst refcount handling on representor teardown

core-osv · Original source

Published 23 Oct 2026, 12:22 UTC

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ice: fix metadata_dst refcount handling on representor teardown ice_eswitch_release_repr() uses metadata_dst_free() to release the representor's metadata_dst. metadata_dst_free() directly frees the underlying memory without checking the dst_entry refcount. When ice_eswitch_port_start_xmit() processes a packet, it takes a reference via dst_hold() and attaches the metadata_dst to the skb. If the representor is torn down while packets are still queued on the lower device (e.g. in a qdisc), the metadata_dst is freed while references are still held. Use dst_release() instead, which correctly decrements the refcount and only frees the object when all references are dropped. The dst subsystem already handles metadata_dst cleanup in dst_destroy() when DST_METADATA is set. Other drivers sharing this pattern (nfp, airoha, bnxt) already use dst_release() for their metadata_dst lifecycle.

osv:CVE-2026-99043

Kernel

Fixed versions: 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.57, 7.2.11

Complete source record
{
  "id": "75b80274520a93f731159bf6a41f35d1a552aaa0fa782bdb0553707481e273f0",
  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-99043",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "ice: fix metadata_dst refcount handling on representor teardown",
    "summary": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ice: fix metadata_dst refcount handling on representor teardown ice_eswitch_release_repr() uses metadata_dst_free() to release the representor's metadata_dst. metadata_dst_free() directly frees the underlying memory without checking the dst_entry refcount. When ice_eswitch_port_start_xmit() processes a packet, it takes a reference via dst_hold() and attaches the metadata_dst to the skb. If the representor is torn down while packets are still queued on the lower device (e.g. in a qdisc), the metadata_dst is freed while references are still held. Use dst_release() instead, which correctly decrements the refcount and only frees the object when all references are dropped. The dst subsystem already handles metadata_dst cleanup in dst_destroy() when DST_METADATA is set. Other drivers sharing this pattern (nfp, airoha, bnxt) already use dst_release() for their metadata_dst lifecycle.",
    "evidence": "osv:CVE-2026-99043",
    "products": [
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        "prerequisites": [],
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          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "Kernel",
            "ecosystem": "Linux"
          },
          "database_specific": {
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          }
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-11-01T02:30:21.811884162Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "references": [
        "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1f263235651775f93c15d90c9f25c3f4a4ef6512",
        "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/41f0d9ab158fb51f34bded5f8a40918e4f70b2b6",
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      ],
      "provider_metadata": {
        "cna_assigner": "Linux",
        "osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/99xxx/CVE-2026-99043.json"
      }
    },
    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2026-99043",
        "evidence": "/id"
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    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": null
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 492991,
  "published_at": "2026-10-23T12:22:07.372+00:00"
}