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CVE-2026-53079: Linux Kernel: Unreleased Network Packets Can Cause Memory Leak
CVE-2026-53079
Summary
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's network stack could cause memory to be wasted when packets are not properly released. This issue affects Linux systems and could lead to performance problems over time. To fix this, update your Linux kernel to the latest version.
Original title
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net_sched: fix skb memory leak in deferred qdisc drops
When the network stack cleans up the deferred list via qdisc_run_end(),
...
Original description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net_sched: fix skb memory leak in deferred qdisc drops
When the network stack cleans up the deferred list via qdisc_run_end(),
it operates on the root qdisc. If the root qdisc do not implement the
TCQ_F_DEQUEUE_DROPS flag the packets queue to free are never freed and
gets stranded on the child's local to_free list.
Fix this by making qdisc_dequeue_drop() aware of the root qdisc. It
fetches the root qdisc and check for the TCQ_F_DEQUEUE_DROPS flag. If
the flag is present, the packet is appended directly to the root's
to_free list. Otherwise, drop it directly as it was done before the
optimization was implemented.
net_sched: fix skb memory leak in deferred qdisc drops
When the network stack cleans up the deferred list via qdisc_run_end(),
it operates on the root qdisc. If the root qdisc do not implement the
TCQ_F_DEQUEUE_DROPS flag the packets queue to free are never freed and
gets stranded on the child's local to_free list.
Fix this by making qdisc_dequeue_drop() aware of the root qdisc. It
fetches the root qdisc and check for the TCQ_F_DEQUEUE_DROPS flag. If
the flag is present, the packet is appended directly to the root's
to_free list. Otherwise, drop it directly as it was done before the
optimization was implemented.
Published: 24 Jun 2026 · Updated: 14 Jul 2026 · First seen: 14 Jul 2026