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CVE-2026-46172

MEDIUMCVSS 5.5/10EPSS 0.13%

Last modified

CVE-2026-46172 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.5/10 on the CVSS scale. In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipv6: xfrm6: release dst on error in xfrm6_rcv_encap() xfrm6_rcv_encap() performs an IPv6 route lookup when the skb does not already have a dst attached. ip6_route_input_lookup() returns a referenced dst entry even when the lookup resolves to an error route. If dst->error is set, xfrm6_rcv_encap() drops the skb without attaching the dst to the skb and without releasing the reference returned by the lookup. EPSS estimates a 0.13% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipv6: xfrm6: release dst on error in xfrm6_rcv_encap() xfrm6_rcv_encap() performs an IPv6 route lookup when the skb does not already have a dst attached. ip6_route_input_lookup() returns a referenced dst entry even when the lookup resolves to an error route. If dst->error is set, xfrm6_rcv_encap() drops the skb without attaching the dst to the skb and without releasing the reference returned by the lookup. Repeated packets hitting this path therefore leak dst entries. Release the dst before jumping to the drop path.

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
0.13%

2.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

VendorProductVersionsUpdate
LinuxLinux Kernel>= 5.8, < 5.10.258—
LinuxLinux Kernel>= 5.11, < 5.15.209—
LinuxLinux Kernel>= 5.16, < 6.1.175—
LinuxLinux Kernel>= 6.2, < 6.6.140—
LinuxLinux Kernel>= 6.7, < 6.12.88—
LinuxLinux Kernel>= 6.13, < 6.18.30—
LinuxLinux Kernel>= 6.19, < 7.0.7—
LinuxLinux Kernel7.1Rc1

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-46172?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipv6: xfrm6: release dst on error in xfrm6_rcv_encap() xfrm6_rcv_encap() performs an IPv6 route lookup when the skb does not already have a dst attached. ip6_route_input_lookup() returns a referenced dst entry even when the lookup resolves to an error route. If dst->error is set, xfrm6_rcv_encap() drops the skb without attaching the dst to the skb and without releasing the reference returned by the lookup. Repeated packets hitting this path therefore leak dst entries. Release the dst before jumping to the drop path.
How severe is CVE-2026-46172?
CVE-2026-46172 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.13% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2026-46172?
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.

Are you affected by CVE-2026-46172?

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Source: NVD / NIST