CVE-2024-26803: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: veth: clear GRO when clearing XDP even when down veth sets NETIF_F_GRO auto...

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: veth: clear GRO when clearing XDP even when down veth sets NETIF_F_GRO automatically when XDP is enabled, because both features use the same NAPI machinery. The logic to clear NETIF_F_GRO sits in veth_disable_xdp() which is called both on ndo_stop and when XDP is turned off. To avoid the flag from being cleared when the device is brought down, the clearing is skipped when IFF_UP is not set. Bringing the device down should indeed not modify its features. Unfortunately, this means that clearing is also skipped when XDP is disabled _while_ the device is down. And there's nothing on the open path to bring the device features back into sync. IOW if user enables XDP, disables it and then brings the device up we'll end up with a stray GRO flag set but no NAPI instances. We don't depend on the GRO flag on the datapath, so the datapath won't crash. We will crash (or hang), however, next time features are sync'ed (either by user via ethtool or peer changing its config). The GRO flag will go away, and veth will try to disable the NAPIs. But the open path never created them since XDP was off, the GRO flag was a stray. If NAPI was initialized before we'll hang in napi_disable(). If it never was we'll crash trying to stop uninitialized hrtimer. Move the GRO flag updates to the XDP enable / disable paths, instead of mixing them with the ndo_open / ndo_close paths.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability

0.22%

13.1th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-459

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 5.13, < 5.15.151	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 5.16, < 6.1.81	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 6.2, < 6.6.21	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 6.7, < 6.7.9	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	6.8	Rc1

References

Timeline

Published: Apr 4, 2024
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-26803?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: veth: clear GRO when clearing XDP even when down veth sets NETIF_F_GRO automatically when XDP is enabled, because both features use the same NAPI machinery. The logic to clear NETIF_F_GRO sits in veth_disable_xdp() which is called both on ndo_stop and when XDP is turned off. To avoid the flag from being cleared when the device is brought down, the clearing is skipped when IFF_UP is not set. Bringing the device down should indeed not modify its features. Unfortunately, this means that clearing is also skipped when XDP is disabled _while_ the device is down. And there's nothing on the open path to bring the device features back into sync. IOW if user enables XDP, disables it and then brings the device up we'll end up with a stray GRO flag set but no NAPI instances. We don't depend on the GRO flag on the datapath, so the datapath won't crash. We will crash (or hang), however, next time features are sync'ed (either by user via ethtool or peer changing its config). The GRO flag will go away, and veth will try to disable the NAPIs. But the open path never created them since XDP was off, the GRO flag was a stray. If NAPI was initialized before we'll hang in napi_disable(). If it never was we'll crash trying to stop uninitialized hrtimer. Move the GRO flag updates to the XDP enable / disable paths, instead of mixing them with the ndo_open / ndo_close paths.

How severe is CVE-2024-26803?

CVE-2024-26803 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.22% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2024-26803?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.