{"id":"CVE-2026-99043","state":"PUBLISHED","title":"ice: fix metadata_dst refcount handling on representor teardown","description":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nice: fix metadata_dst refcount handling on representor teardown\n\nice_eswitch_release_repr() uses metadata_dst_free() to release the\nrepresentor's metadata_dst.  metadata_dst_free() directly frees the\nunderlying memory without checking the dst_entry refcount.\n\nWhen ice_eswitch_port_start_xmit() processes a packet, it takes a\nreference via dst_hold() and attaches the metadata_dst to the skb.\nIf the representor is torn down while packets are still queued on\nthe lower device (e.g. in a qdisc), the metadata_dst is freed while\nreferences are still held.\n\nUse dst_release() instead, which correctly decrements the refcount\nand only frees the object when all references are dropped.  The dst\nsubsystem already handles metadata_dst cleanup in dst_destroy() when\nDST_METADATA is set.\n\nOther drivers sharing this pattern (nfp, airoha, bnxt) already use\ndst_release() for their metadata_dst lifecycle.","publishedAt":"2026-10-23T12:22:07.372Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-30T12:41:15.899Z","severity":null,"assigner":"Linux","products":["Linux Linux"],"affected":[{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"f5396b8a663f7a78ee5b75a47ee524b40795b265","status":"affected","lessThan":"41f0d9ab158fb51f34bded5f8a40918e4f70b2b6","versionType":"git"},{"version":"f5396b8a663f7a78ee5b75a47ee524b40795b265","status":"affected","lessThan":"1f263235651775f93c15d90c9f25c3f4a4ef6512","versionType":"git"},{"version":"f5396b8a663f7a78ee5b75a47ee524b40795b265","status":"affected","lessThan":"6f5544f53f1e58ea8a49fb9f9158d5793b9205b0","versionType":"git"},{"version":"f5396b8a663f7a78ee5b75a47ee524b40795b265","status":"affected","lessThan":"beb05f484a1e4a5a66e3678e4b7f3147f651c080","versionType":"git"},{"version":"f5396b8a663f7a78ee5b75a47ee524b40795b265","status":"affected","lessThan":"5e4d20db5179e83a4948927bc39e489a9a83256d","versionType":"git"},{"version":"f5396b8a663f7a78ee5b75a47ee524b40795b265","status":"affected","lessThan":"58858b8f14803a7eeac297b3ce20f3b21bf2ff66","versionType":"git"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_eswitch.c"]},{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"affected","versions":[{"version":"5.16","status":"affected"},{"version":"0","status":"unaffected","lessThan":"5.16","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.1.191","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.1.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.6.160","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.6.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.12.113","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.12.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.18.57","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.18.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"7.2.11","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"7.2.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"7.3","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"*","versionType":"original_commit_for_fix"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_eswitch.c"]}],"references":["https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/41f0d9ab158fb51f34bded5f8a40918e4f70b2b6","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1f263235651775f93c15d90c9f25c3f4a4ef6512","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6f5544f53f1e58ea8a49fb9f9158d5793b9205b0","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/beb05f484a1e4a5a66e3678e4b7f3147f651c080","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5e4d20db5179e83a4948927bc39e489a9a83256d","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/58858b8f14803a7eeac297b3ce20f3b21bf2ff66"],"weaknesses":[],"ingestedAt":"2026-10-30T13:02:04.640Z","source":{"repository":"CVEProject/cvelistV5","path":"cves/2026/99xxx/CVE-2026-99043.json","commit":"cb14bf1b43b0c9f05f7f40eae2246263fd430780","baselineCommit":"556c9d3a8cd17e218bb8e452ba7cd619a384ff47"},"raw":{"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2","cveMetadata":{"cveId":"CVE-2026-99043","state":"PUBLISHED","datePublished":"2026-10-23T12:22:07.372Z","dateUpdated":"2026-10-30T12:41:15.899Z","assignerShortName":"Linux","assignerOrgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","dateReserved":"2026-09-25T10:25:14.387Z"},"containers":{"cna":{"title":"ice: fix metadata_dst refcount handling on representor teardown","descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nice: fix metadata_dst refcount handling on representor teardown\n\nice_eswitch_release_repr() uses metadata_dst_free() to release the\nrepresentor's metadata_dst.  metadata_dst_free() directly frees the\nunderlying memory without checking the dst_entry refcount.\n\nWhen ice_eswitch_port_start_xmit() processes a packet, it takes a\nreference via dst_hold() and attaches the metadata_dst to the skb.\nIf the representor is torn down while packets are still queued on\nthe lower device (e.g. in a qdisc), the metadata_dst is freed while\nreferences are still held.\n\nUse dst_release() instead, which correctly decrements the refcount\nand only frees the object when all references are dropped.  The dst\nsubsystem already handles metadata_dst cleanup in dst_destroy() when\nDST_METADATA is set.\n\nOther drivers sharing this pattern (nfp, airoha, bnxt) already use\ndst_release() for their metadata_dst lifecycle."}],"affected":[{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"f5396b8a663f7a78ee5b75a47ee524b40795b265","status":"affected","lessThan":"41f0d9ab158fb51f34bded5f8a40918e4f70b2b6","versionType":"git"},{"version":"f5396b8a663f7a78ee5b75a47ee524b40795b265","status":"affected","lessThan":"1f263235651775f93c15d90c9f25c3f4a4ef6512","versionType":"git"},{"version":"f5396b8a663f7a78ee5b75a47ee524b40795b265","status":"affected","lessThan":"6f5544f53f1e58ea8a49fb9f9158d5793b9205b0","versionType":"git"},{"version":"f5396b8a663f7a78ee5b75a47ee524b40795b265","status":"affected","lessThan":"beb05f484a1e4a5a66e3678e4b7f3147f651c080","versionType":"git"},{"version":"f5396b8a663f7a78ee5b75a47ee524b40795b265","status":"affected","lessThan":"5e4d20db5179e83a4948927bc39e489a9a83256d","versionType":"git"},{"version":"f5396b8a663f7a78ee5b75a47ee524b40795b265","status":"affected","lessThan":"58858b8f14803a7eeac297b3ce20f3b21bf2ff66","versionType":"git"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_eswitch.c"]},{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"affected","versions":[{"version":"5.16","status":"affected"},{"version":"0","status":"unaffected","lessThan":"5.16","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.1.191","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.1.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.6.160","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.6.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.12.113","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.12.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.18.57","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.18.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"7.2.11","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"7.2.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"7.3","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"*","versionType":"original_commit_for_fix"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_eswitch.c"]}],"references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/41f0d9ab158fb51f34bded5f8a40918e4f70b2b6"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1f263235651775f93c15d90c9f25c3f4a4ef6512"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6f5544f53f1e58ea8a49fb9f9158d5793b9205b0"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/beb05f484a1e4a5a66e3678e4b7f3147f651c080"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5e4d20db5179e83a4948927bc39e489a9a83256d"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/58858b8f14803a7eeac297b3ce20f3b21bf2ff66"}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"Linux","orgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","dateUpdated":"2026-10-30T12:41:15.899Z"},"cpeApplicability":[{"nodes":[{"operator":"OR","negate":false,"cpeMatch":[{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.16","versionEndExcluding":"6.1.191"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.16","versionEndExcluding":"6.6.160"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.16","versionEndExcluding":"6.12.113"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.16","versionEndExcluding":"6.18.57"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.16","versionEndExcluding":"7.2.11"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.16","versionEndExcluding":"7.3"}]}]}],"x_generator":{"engine":"bippy-1.2.0"}}}}}